MMI Interview Questions & Answers

Welcome to our database of real Medicine Multiple-Mini Interview (MMI) questions with answers, updated for this years entry. We are constantly updating this database and will be adding new Medicine MMI interview questions and answers throughout the year.

In this database we focus solely on MMI interview questions and answers, you can find questions and answers to traditional Medicine interview questions in our comprehensive general Medicine Interview Questions database. For each MMI question, we explain what examiners are trying to assess. We then cover how to approach answering each MMI interview question and advise on common mistakes to avoid in your answer. Finally, we provide examples of competent answers to each medical school MMI interview question.

For a comprehensive guide to excelling in the medical school interview, our instantly downloadable medicine interview book, covers all aspects of the medicine interview from NHS hot topics to extensive MMI and traditional interview questions and answers. Medical School Interview Book

Multiple Mini Interview Questions Database

What is this medicine MMI interview question trying to assess?

This is a very common and well-known medicine mmi interview question for both applicants to medical students and even consultant interviews. Medicine mmi interview questions like this assess if you have the right attitudes to become a doctor and can recognise that different situations may evoke ethical and other considerations. In this case patient safety, your role in the team and raising concerns etc. Do you appreciate the sensitivities this situation raises, i.e. how to raise a serious issue about a senior appropriately? To demonstrate these things, you should not rush into giving a final answer, thinking this is all the interviewers are looking for, as doing so will not allow you to show the other things interviewers are looking for that we have just discussed.

How to approach this medicine MMI question

When handling questions on issues with colleagues, witnessing poor medical care or on ethical questions you can use the SPIES framework. Remember, you do not need to stick to the structure of any frameworks rigidly – they are designed to serve as a memory aid about what elements to include in your answer. In many cases, they provide a sensible structure to order your answer in, but not always.

Seek Info – Do not rush to conclusions, seek info first and establish the facts

Patient safety – Is it jeopardised? This should always be your first concern. The GMC’s Good Medical Practice states:

“You must take prompt action if you think that patient safety, dignity or comfort is or may be seriously compromised.  

  1. If a patient is not receiving basic care to meet their needs, you must immediately tell someone who is in a position to act straight away.
  2. If patients are at risk because of inadequate premises, equipment or other resources, policies or systems, you should put the matter right if that is possible. You must raise your concern in line with our guidance and your workplace policy. You should also make a record of the steps you have taken.
  3. If you have concerns that a colleague may not be fit to practice and may be putting patients at risk, you must ask for advice from a colleague, your defence body or us. If you are still concerned you must report this, in line with our guidance and your workplace policy, and make a record of the steps you have taken.”

Initiative – Can you do anything yourself? e.g. talk to the colleague in question

Escalate – Ask your seniors or involve colleagues as needed

Support – Can you support the individual?

In this specific situation:

  • S – Firstly, seek information – why does the nurse think that the consultant is drunk? Is it due to his/her behaviour, has the nurse heard from someone else or has the nurse seen the consultant drink alcohol? Thank the nurse for raising her concerns and reassure her you will take action to investigate the issue immediately.
  • P – Consider patient safety – The reasons are obvious why patient safety is compromised if the nurse’s allegations are true. Both for patients about to be seen and patients that could have already been seen as well as actions the doctor could have taken while drunk, e.g. prescribing medications. If the consultant is removed from the clinical environment, how will care be provided?
  • I – Take your initiative and take action – As the implications of what the nurse has told you are serious and patient safety is at risk, you must act. To really stand out, in these kind of medicine interview questions, discuss urgency in your answer. In this case, as clinical work is about to commence and patients could have already been seen, this is an urgent priority. In other scenarios like this where patient safety is not immediately compromised, you have more time to deal with matters. Regarding taking action, this is easier said than done. This is your consultant. If you were another senior colleague than it would be easier to bring the consultant to one side and say that a serious allegation has been made and discuss the situation.
  • E – Escalate – In this situation, it would be more appropriate for you to ask a more senior colleague, e.g. your registrar, another consultant, a senior nurse. It should not be the case, but if you are entirely on your own and there is a pressing need to act (in this case there would be), then you should do so.
  • S – Support – You need to look after the safety of your colleague, the consultant. Ensure someone is looking into if the consultant can get home safely, e.g. calling a taxi. If true the actions, regardless of the reasons, represent a serious error in judgement by the consultant, who could have called in sick. This issue needs to be dealt with and will be a matter for the hospital and potentially the GMC to deal with, but support must also be given to the colleague. This will not be by you for the most part.

Further points:

To strengthen your answer, you can state in your response how you have read the GMC’s Good Medical Practice and are aware how it emphasises patient safety and taking prompt action if you think it is compromised. GMC guidance also states that doctors must have insight into their own actions and suitability to practice. This shows your background knowledge and insight into medicine, and will make for a very strong answer.

Follow-up questions

What if the consultant says s/he has a reason for being drunk and asks you not to say anything?

The doctor may have an “excuse” for being drunk such as personal issues at home. However, mitigating circumstances are for the senior doctors who will investigate and meet with the consultant later to deal with and also provide some support for. It doesn’t change the actions you must take listed above. Furthermore, if they have a problem, you are not doing the person any favour by allowing them to bury this under the carpet. If an adverse outcome happens as a result of overlooking this, then you have a role in this as you overlooked this situation.

What if the consultant is a family member or close friend?

This does not change any of your duties as a doctor. The issue is just as serious. The only thing it changes is perhaps the communication skills you will use with the doctor.

What if the consultant says it is only his/her first time and s/he won’t do it again?

This is the first time that they have been caught that you are aware of. This may have occurred many times previously and perhaps in previous jobs. As an example, Harold Shipman’s murder of hundreds of patients came to light after one error was exposed and subsequent investigations followed. You must still take the above actions.

You could be asked to act this roleplay out with an actor playing the medical student or be asked to talk through this station with the interviewer.

How to approach this medicine MMI interview question

If you are asked to act this scenario out in a role play, then this MMI station is heavily focused on your communication skills, i.e. raising a serious issue appropriately without being too confrontational. If you are asked to talk through the scenario with an interviewer (and also if you are acting out the scenario), then medicine interview questions like this assess if you have the right attitudes to become a doctor such as professionalism, probity and teamwork.

This question is very similar to the previous one about the possibly drunk consultant. Once again you should apply the SPIES framework. Remember that frameworks are a memory aid, helping to ensure you cover the main points. While often providing a sensible structure and order to follow, you do not need to rigidly follow them in answering every medicine interview question.

In this case, if we start with “S – seeking information” – you should clarify why the nurse thinks that and then verify if this is true. What is the medical student’s perspective? Perhaps the student was asked to go in the storeroom and get the equipment or was getting something for another ward. Once again you should thank the nurse for raising her concerns and tell her you will investigate.

Follow the remaining advice we have given in the drunk consultant question. The main differences are that it does not appear there is an immediate issue with patient safety, meaning action can be taken less urgently. Also, this person is more like your peer, and your style of communication will be different. It would be acceptable to approach the student and ask them what is going on. Start off generally by asking about how they are finding the wards and medical school. State that someone has made this allegation. Find out their perspective. Perhaps they took the cannula kits to practice at home as they do not feel confident in this skill.

You should remind them of the ethics of this. You could advise them on ways to address the issue of needing more practice, e.g. going to the skills lab, practising on the wards. You could even offer to help by letting them assist in your next cannulation. It would likely be a good idea to suggest that the medical student inform their supervisor of what they have done. This is not a patient safety issue, and you should not go and do this yourself without encouraging the medical student to do this themselves. It is not clear cut, what you should do if the medical student says that they will not go to their supervisor. If the medical student showed no insight into the issue surrounding what they had done, then you could consider approaching their supervisor directly. You should tell the medical student that you must do this, before doing so. You could speak to a senior for more advice.

You may be asked to speak to Hannah, played by an actor or to talk through the issues with an examiner.

How to approach this MMI interview question

Background knowledge useful for this MMI station

Doctors can prescribe drugs to family, friends and themselves. However, this is highly discouraged by the GMC unless there is a very good reason. The GMC state this is because:

  • Self-prescribing may involve addictive drugs; may be based on an inaccurate diagnosis; lacks the rigour of an independent assessment of symptoms, and may prevent treating doctors from understanding what medications have been taken.
  • When prescribing for someone a doctor has a close personal relationship with, the lack of independent assessment may lead to them being pressured by the person, or by the situation, to prescribe inappropriately (e.g. painkillers) and can mean that treating doctors don’t have access to information necessary for the patient’s ongoing treatment.

Generally speaking, a doctor’s fitness to practice will not be questioned by an isolated prescription for a non-controlled drug. However, controlled drugs such as strong painkillers; or more questionable medication such as antidepressants; or repeated prescriptions are far more likely to result in questions of a doctor’s fitness to practice.

How to go about handling this MMI station

If you are being asked to speak to an actor played by Hannah, also read our MMI station guide on counselling somebody, which will give you more information on how to approach talking to Hannah, phrases to use, how to show empathy, being non-judgemental and so on.

When handling questions on issues with colleagues, witnessing poor medical care or on ethical questions you can use the SPIES framework. Remember, you do not need to stick to the structure of any frameworks rigidly – they are designed to serve as a memory aid about what elements to include in your answer. In many cases, they provide a sensible structure to order your answer in but not always.

Seek Info – Do not rush to conclusions, seek info first and establish the facts

Patient safety – Is it jeopardised? This should always be your first concern. The GMC’s Good Medical Practice states:

 “You must take prompt action if you think that patient safety, dignity or comfort is or may be seriously compromised.  

  1. If a patient is not receiving basic care to meet their needs, you must immediately tell someone who is in a position to act straight away.
  2. 2 If patients are at risk because of inadequate premises, equipment or other resources, policies or systems, you should put the matter right if that is possible. You must raise your concern in line with our guidance and your workplace policy. You should also make a record of the steps you have taken.
  3. If you have concerns that a colleague may not be fit to practice and may be putting patients at risk, you must ask for advice from a colleague, your defence body or us. If you are still concerned you must report this, in line with our guidance and your workplace policy, and make a record of the steps you have taken.”

Initiative – Can you do anything yourself? e.g. talk to the colleague in question

Escalate – Ask your seniors or involve colleagues as needed

Support – Can you support the individual?

In this specific situation:

  • S – Firstly, seek information – why does Hannah need antidepressants and why does she not want to see her GP? Reasons could include:
    • She simply does not have the time to see her GP
    • She may want to keep her depression off her medical records, thinking it may affect her job prospects or other issues, e.g. medical insurance premiums.
    • There may be something nefarious going on; she could be trying to secure the medicines for someone else she is close to or be trying to sell them on.

Whatever the reason, her GP or another medical professional responsible for her care is more appropriate to ask for a prescription than you.

  • P – Consider patient safety – Is Hannah’s depression affecting patient safety or could do so?
  • I – Take your initiative and act – Action here is supporting Hannah by finding out more about the situation and inviting her to talk about her problems if she is comfortable doing so. You could reassure her that her GP has a duty of confidentiality and is a more objective person to prescribe medication then you. You could also encourage her to talk to her seniors and her supervisors. You could also make her aware of support organisations for people with mental health issues including specialist medical groups. You should remind her in a sensitive way of the implications of having medications prescribed in this manner.
  • E – Escalate – If patient safety is not affected than approaching a senior colleague would not be appropriate and could damage your relationship with your friend and colleague. You should still remind her of the GMC advice on prescribing and also about having insight into one’s own health. You should encourage her to speak to a senior colleague herself. However, If you are worried that patient safety could be affected and that Hannah has no insight into this and will not speak to a senior, then you can approach a senior directly. You should inform Hannah of this beforehand and explain your reasoning to her.
  • S – Support – You should support your colleague and friend. This is discussed under I – taking your initiative.

A prioritisation MMI station by Aberdeen Medical School stated that you are a first-year medical student who has failed an important exam at the end of the year. The resit is in 2 weeks times and would establish if you can continue on the course. You are also a captain, and one of the top scorers for the basketball time, with an important much coming up that will require daily training sessions. Additionally, you have just received a text from a friend that you have not seen in a while asking if you want to go out “to party”. Explain how you would prioritise these tasks and why. How could you go about doing these tasks?

What is this medicine MMI question trying to assess?

  • Your ability to prioritise which will also reveal your thought process
  • Your communication skills in presenting an answer

How to approach this medicine MMI station – An Example MMI answer & analysis

Here is an example of an answer to this Medicine MMI interview question, after which we will discuss some general principles:

“My first priority would be my medical school exams. Becoming a doctor is extremely important to me. Furthermore, if I failed this task, it would jeopardise my future at medical school, and this would have huge implications for my future working life. Thinking logically, it is also a task that I can’t delegate to someone else, and the resit date is fixed so I can’t reschedule this task either.

In terms of my approach, I need to learn from my mistakes and not just simply repeat the same strategy that caused me to fail the exam. I would try and find out what went wrong. I would make an action plan to bridge the gap between my current performance and the standard I must attain. I would speak to tutors and find out their opinions and what support and teaching I can access.

My next priority would be the basketball team. This involves other people relying on me, and again there is a fixed deadline. I would discuss the implications for the team if someone else could take my place and weigh that up. It is also possible that I could train at a reduced schedule. Training could still be possible as it is important to have a balance. I can still revise intensely, finish my work for the day and then the physical activity and relaxation in the evening could help me to unwind and actually allow me to work harder for my exams. However, this could also be a bad idea, if the time spent and the mental energy required is high. There is a chance it could distract me, and I have to be very mindful of this. This is particularly so because I failed my exams first time around, so that means there was something wrong with my initial strategy and my insight into my abilities.

Lastly, I think the partying with a friend could be postponed and is my lowest priority. I don’t want to let my friend down, but if explained I had exams, I am sure my friend would understand if I communicated it in the right way. I could suggest that we party after my exam.”

Analysis of this MMI question answer

This is an excellent answer, which shows the candidate thinks through issues well – for example, realising the future implications of failing the test, the fact it can’t be delegated to someone else or postponed. Also mentioning things such as learning from their mistakes and not just repeating a previously unsuccessful strategy again. As we have said, a medicine interview is like a driving test; you need to make it obvious to the examiner that you possess specific skills and word your answers in such a way that it drops hints that enhance your application. The comments about knowing the importance of balancing work with relaxation are also examples of this.

Approaching these types of prioritisation questions

You must learn general strategies to answer many types of question instead of just trying to “learn” the answer to every single question. Some general points to consider when considering MMI stations regarding prioritising situations like this are:

  • There is a difference between urgency and importance. Somethings are urgent but not important (e.g. as in this scenario, imagine if your friend wants to go out to party today and you only have a few hours to buy tickets to a venue you wanted, that would make it urgent to act, but it is not necessarily important.) Don’t be pressured to prioritise things just because they have a deadline – they may not be important but simply feel so as the deadline creates a sense of urgency).
  • Are there any things which are very important that you cannot compromise on? In this example, the medical school exam was critical.
  • Does anything have a deadline which you must meet?
  • Can anything be delegated to someone else?
  • Are there things which that can be postponed or perhaps foregone altogether if they are not essential?

Follow-up questions

MMI interviews allow examiners to ask follow-up questions. This MMI station included follow-up questions on “can you describe a situation where you had to prioritise something? talk me through the process” “Why do doctors have to be good at prioritising?”

You will be familiar with the SJT type questions if you have taken the UCAT. You may be given an example of a situation on the wards where you need to prioritise your actions or rank which one is most appropriate to least appropriate. For example, “you are finishing your shift as an FY1 doctor. The nurse informs you that the FY1 taking over will be 30 minutes late. This will make you late for a meeting with your friend at an event you are going to together. Your friend is waiting for you.” You could then be given a list of answers and asked to rank which is the most to the least appropriate course of action and then explain your rationale. The list of choices could include:

  • calling your friend to apologise for the delay and wait for the incoming doctor (this would be the most appropriate)
  • leaving a note of outstanding tasks and a patient summary for the incoming doctor and then leaving (this would be least appropriate and is putting patient safety at risk)

What is this medicine MMI interview question trying to assess?

  • Your awareness of the behaviours and attitudes expected of doctors
  • Your ability to prioritise which will also reveal your thought process
  • Your communication skills in presenting an answer

How to approach this medicine MMI station

“Good Medical Practice”, by the GMC is essential reading before your medicine interview. Reading it will help you understand the attitudes and behaviours expected of doctors.

Do not rush in these stations, take your time to think. Clarify anything with the examiner if you are unsure. Regarding SJT stations in general, you should use a hierarchy of importance:

  • Patient safety is always at the top of this. Your actions should not jeopardise this. This would include in unexpected situations like this, making personal sacrifices to maintain patient safety. This is why you should stay and wait for a face to face handover, as doing so via a list is dangerous, as the incoming doctor may not understand and also there would be a period of no cover if you leave.
  • Next in the hierarchy is your colleagues, if patient safety is not harmed, you should help your colleagues where possible and not undermine them. Last in the hierarchy is yourself. Yes, you should avoid working past your allocated hours or doing work which is beyond your share, but in emergency situations or where patient safety is at risk, you should take on the required responsibilities. If it is a systematic reason (e.g. understaffing, poorly designed rotas) or other problems which repeatedly cause these situations to occur, then you should discuss it with seniors.

An example of an MMI prioritisation station based on a St George’s medical school MMI station is where you are given a list of 30 items in your suitcase for a trip. You are told your suitcase is too big, and you must use a smaller suitcase instead. You should remove 15 items. You must decide which items to keep or remove and explain your reasoning.

What is this MMI interview question trying to assess?

  • Your ability to prioritise which will also reveal your thought process
  • Your communication skills in presenting an answer

How to approach this medicine MMI question

In these types of prioritisation questions, simply take a logical approach. You just need to think of sensible answers and provide a justification. Do not rush into these stations, take your time to think and. Clarify anything with the examiner if you are unsure. Regarding this specific station:

  • Clarify: Look at the list of items and ask where are you going? If you are going to Scotland in the middle of the winter, do you really need sunscreen?
  • Could any items be easily bought upon arrival so can be removed from the suitcase?
  • Perhaps you could carry some of the items on your person? E.g. put things in your pockets or where the extra clothes?

MMI interviews can sometimes include stations where you are shown a consultation between a doctor and a patient. This is usually a GP consultation or at an outpatient clinic. The consultation could be about anything but is often about a doctor breaking some bad news, explaining something, e.g. test results, a diagnosis or obtaining consent. Often the good and bad things are a little exaggerated to make them more noticeable.

What is this MMI interview question trying to assess?

  • This depends on what you are asked to view, but generally, this medicine MMI station is testing your communication skills by seeing how well you recognise it in others.
  • It tests your explanation skills as you will be relaying this information to others.

How to approach this medicine MMI station

If you are allowed to take notes while watching the video, it may be worthwhile. Your notes should only be a word or two to jog your memory when answering questions (e.g. “didn’t introduce self” “closed body language”) and not a detailed analysis. Also, make sure you keep your eyes on the screen. These stations are relatively easy if you know the kind of things to look out for. You could practice a few times with this list in front of you after which this should become a straightforward process and one of the easier MMI medicine interview stations. This may seem like a long list, but once you understand it, they are logical, common sense things.

Is the environment adequate? 

  • Is the consultation occurring with adequate privacy? A corridor or other open space is inappropriate. Are doors open? If it is in a ward, are the curtains drawn so neighbouring beds cannot hear?
  • Are the chairs close enough or perhaps they are too close? Are they appropriately positioned? For example, chairs facing each other or placed diagonally (like a typical GP setup) are usually ideal.
  • Is there anything in the way, e.g. a large vase on the table.
  • Does the doctor deal with interruptions (e.g. someone knocking on the door) politely and with respect for the patient? If there are repeated interruptions, perhaps the doctor should have made it known the room was occupied.

Body language & rapport

  • Does the doctor have a relaxed and open body language?
  • Are they making eye contact with the patient or always looking at the computer or away from the patient?
  • Is the doctor’s demeanour appropriate? Are they empathetic? Simple statements such as “oh gosh” “that sounds difficult” show empathy. If a patient is upset, they could offer a tissue or some water.

Introductions

  • Has the doctor introduced themselves?
  • Are there other people present in the room, e.g. a nurse or a student? Has the doctor introduced these people and asked the patient if this is ok?
  • Has the doctor confirmed it is the right patient and asked them how they would like to be addressed?
  • Has the doctor clarified the purpose of the consultation or asked the patient? (this could be as simple as, “what has brought you here today?” or “so my understanding is that you had an endoscopy last month and you are here today to discuss the results, is that right?… is there anything else you were hoping to gain from today’s consultation?”

Communication skills

  • Active listening:
    • Is the doctor showing that they are listening, e.g. nodding their head or saying “ok” “mm-hmm” etc.
    • Is the doctor encouraging the patient to expand their points “tell me more about that” “you said you were not satisfied with the treatment, in what way?” “what happened after that?”
    • Is the doctor giving the patient a chance to speak or is the doctor rushing them or changing the topic? Sometimes if a patient is rambling, it is appropriate to redirect the question or interrupt, however, this must be done skillfully and appropriately.
  • Open questions: Generally, doctors should start the consultation with an open question and then start to close the questions as the consultation proceeds, depending on what the patient says. In many instances, with good use of open questions, the patient will state most of the necessary information meaning many closed questions will not be required. For example:

  “Tell me more about your headaches > how would you describe the pain > is there a particular pattern to the pain > does anything make it better or worse?”

With the above kind of questioning, the patient will likely reveal the necessary information themselves so closed questions such as “are the headaches sharp or dull?” “are they worse in the morning or at night?” “does bending forward make it worse?” “does coffee bring it on?” will not be required as much. Closed questions will be used and are necessary, but the doctor should generally use open questions first and then move to close their questions. To avoid making this complicated, simply consider, has the doctor started off with some open questions?

  • Picking up on cues: Look out for these cues as they may be subtle. The patient may talk about their symptoms and in the middle of the sentence very briefly say something like they are really struggling at work or “this is causing a lot of personal problems for me” “I don’t really understand, but OK I guess”. Does the doctor pick up on these cues and ask further (“tell me more”, “in what way?” “why is that?”) or ignore this and proceed to another question?

Patient’s agendas are often not clear; they could come in asking about their headaches but really be worried about the lump they just found on their breast. This is sometimes known as a “doorknob question,” i.e. when leaving the consultation “by the way doctor, I’ve been having chest pains”. This can often be the result of doctors’ busy schedules and patient’s reluctance to reveal distressing or embarrassing issues.

  • Does the doctor consider psychosocial aspects?: These include how their condition or complaint affects their daily life, their work, their leisure, their mood and overall enjoyment of life? Conditions affect people very differently. A permanently injured little finger following an accident will have little effect on most people’s quality of life but will be devastating for a professional piano player. Is their condition affecting their job, social life, daily activities etc.?
  • Involving the patient: Has the doctor asked the patient what their expectations are or what they were planning instead of just explaining a course of action, e.g. a patient with depression may not want to start medications. The doctor should explain a few options and ask the patients opinions, not just jump straight ahead with their own plan.
  • Explanation skills: Is the doctor explaining things in ways that the patient understands? Are they avoiding overuse of jargon? Using statements such as “have you heard of metformin before?” “are you aware of any treatments for diabetes”, establishes the patient’s baseline understanding. Doing this could even reveal that the patient is, in fact, a doctor themselves, as patients in real life do not automatically reveal everything about themselves. A doctor would not explain a condition the same to a patient with very little understanding compared to for example a Biology lecturer or someone who has read many articles on their condition.
  • Regular use of summaries and checking patient understanding: this does not just have to be at the end but could be throughout the consultation. It also does not have to be a complete summary, e.g. “so we have talked about a few of the disadvantages of this treatment, do you have any questions about anything we have said so far or want me to clarify anything?”
  • Use of signposting: this means stating what you are going to do, e.g. “I’ll start off explaining the different treatment options and then will talk about the pros and cons of each one, does that sound ok?” “let’s talk about your medication now”. Most candidates will not be aware of this term.
  • Ending: Is there a clear course of how matters will proceed “so we will wait for your test results and then book you in for another appointment.”. Has the doctor checked patient understanding and given them the chance to ask questions? These should have been done throughout the consultation also.
  • Breaking bad news: Is the doctor empathetic? Do they give the patient enough time to process the information? Silence is a useful tool if used well; it provides the patient with the chance to process things and the opportunity to speak. Are they empathetic? Simple statements such as “oh gosh” “that sounds difficult” show empathy. If a patient is upset, they could offer a tissue or some water.
  • Taking consent: See the above headings, “involving the patient”, and “explanation skills.” Is the doctor including the patient in decision making or just imposing their will? Are they explaining concepts in ways that are easily understood and minimising jargon (e.g. high blood pressure instead of hypertension, kidneys instead of renal, antidepressants instead of SSRI medications etc.)?

MMI interviews can sometimes include stations where you are given a written task. This could be answering a short questionnaire or some essay questions. This MMI station is usually without an examiner present. You could be asked anything, but it is often more straightforward medical school interview questions that are asked. For example:

  • Why do you want to study medicine?
  • Why do you want to study at this medical school?
  • Can you list any three traits that make a good doctor and talk about them?

How to approach answering this medicine MMI question

Here is a list of 7 steps that you should take when entering this MMI station and first reading the questions. You can see that there are quite a few steps before you even put your pen to the paper. However, once you understand them and practice doing this a few times, you will realise they are common sense so should be easy to apply.

  1. Relax: Take a deep breath. Use nerves to your advantage – some nerves are good as they will help you stay sharp and perform to your best ability.
  2. Ensure you have thoroughly read the question: As you will have prepared so much, it is very easy to jump the gun and think a question is the same as ones you have seen and prepared for countless times, when in fact it is subtly different.
  3. Think to yourself, what is this question trying to assess and what attributes or skills can I demonstrate in my answer?
  4. Know in your mind, what overall messages do you want to convey before you start writing: This can be very simple, e.g. “I want to display how I have a versatile set of communication skills – I can tailor my approach to different situations and people, and I will give two examples of this.” By being clear in your mind on what you want to cover instead of just writing things and hoping something fits, your writing style will be more impactful and concise. Waffling is typically the result of a writer being unclear of their own position and not planning what message they want a paragraph or sentence to convey but commencing writing regardless of this, hoping something will make sense once pen is put to paper.
  5. Write A Plan: If time allows, you should write a quick plan. Make sure it is clearly labelled as a plan, so it is not marked. This could just be a mind map or a list of headings.
  6. Think of the specific headings or points that you will mention.
  7. Now start writing

If you follow these steps, your answer will be well considered and concise. Here are some further considerations:

Formality: Written text should be more formal than if you were saying the answers out loud.

Handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar: Ensure you are mindful of these. These may be marked (although they are usually unlikely to be more than one total mark).

Common Mistakes to avoid with this medicine MMI interview question

Not answering the specific question: “Do you think tobacco products should be banned” – in this question you must give both arguments, but you should also state your opinion as this is specifically asked in the question “do you think…”. When answering medicine interview questions verbally, this often goes unnoticed, but in written answers, it is more noticeable.

Waffling: by planning your answer beforehand, you can ensure you have a clear beginning and end and your points are well structured and concise.

Poor handwriting and forgetting to use paragraphs

 

This category of Medicine MMI station could include explaining to someone (either an actor or the interviewer themselves) how to tie some shoelaces (without using your hands and assuming that the subject does not know how to do so). The subject may be playing a role, e.g. a 7-year-old child or themselves. Another example is explaining how to unwrap a box.

What is this medicine MMI interview question trying to assess?

These types of medicine MMI station are testing your patience and communication skills. This includes explaining concepts in a clear manner and adapting your approach depending on the audience and your success (if your strategy is not working, change it).

If the medicine MMI station task is something like moving object A into object B or unwrapping a box, then do not feel disheartened if you cannot achieve this by the end of the medicine MMI station. In most situations there are no marks for actually completing the task, the mark scheme assesses your approach, communication skills and patience.

How to approach this medicine MMI station

  • Look for any props: Is there a piece of paper to help you, are you allowed to use diagrams? Read the instructions carefully to make sure that this is allowed.
  • Confirm who the audience is: If the subject is role-playing a 7-year-old, your approach will be very different to if they are playing themselves as an adult. If it is a child, you will have to use more straightforward and more encouraging language, which would likely sound patronising if done to an adult.
  • Before starting, explain your goal to the subject: “Our goal is to get object A inside object B. I have some written instructions which I will explain to you but cannot show you, are you ready?” You should also do this throughout for the smaller steps of the task, e.g. ““We are now going to try and fold the newspaper.”
  • Be specific: the subject will literally follow your instructions. If you say “turn the page” or “turn the box” they may do so the wrong way. You need to be specific in your instructions, e.g. “turn the box clockwise”.
  • Observe the subject: Use open body language and make eye contact. Do not show signs of frustration. Look at the subjects body language for any signs of confusion or frustration.
  • Encourage the subject: This can be done simply, “that’s great” “that’s perfect”. Cheesy fake encouragement is not required and avoid sounding patronising.
  • Deal with challenges: The subject may purposefully get things wrong to test your reactions. Remember not to be frustrated by this. When interviewers are challenging you or being difficult, see it is a positive sign. This is because it is a chance to showcase your skills (in this case patience and changing your approach) which you would not have had if they were easy on you.

Common mistakes to avoid in this medicine MMI station

Being overly critical: Do not scold people for getting steps wrong or show signs of annoyance towards them. Remember, this Medicine MMI station is also testing your patience. Instead of saying “you’re wrong” or “we have to start again now” use more positive language such as “that’s not quite right” (this is far less personal than “YOU are wrong”) “that’s good, there is just an issue with” “that’s a good first attempt, there are a few things we can improve to make it perfect” “that’s not bad, but there are a few things to work on, it might be easier to start again.”

Lacking confidence: This will not inspire confidence in others. You need to feel comfortable commanding others. Be polite but give firm, decisive instructions.

Covering too many steps: Give simple steps that are easy to follow. If steps are long and complicated break them down. This also allows you to confirm whether something the subject does is right or wrong and make the necessary adjustments, compared to if you gave them many steps to do at the same time. Also, state the aim of smaller steps where possible. “Next we need to move the object we have just built into the large box. To do this, we will…”

Not adjusting the approach to the audience: As discussed earlier, you would not explain something to a 7-year-old as you would to an adult. The most common mistake is treating a child just like an adult.

  • MMI stations regarding articles can include asking you to talk about a medically related article of your choosing.
  • Alternatively, you could be presented with an article and then asked to talk about it.
  • Sometimes medical schools will provide you with the article in advance, e.g. one week before your medicine interview.

What is this medicine MMI interview question trying to assess?

Instead of rushing to give a solution, your explanation needs to take a long way around so that you can show interviewers:

  • Your communication skills – Can you summarise an article (usually you should do this is how you should begin answering this medicine interview question), understanding its core message, extracting key points and then explaining these clearly.
  • That you have the right attitudes to become a doctor and can recognise that different situations may evoke ethical and other considerations.
  • Your thought process – can you see things from multiple perspectives and appreciate varying opinions?
  • You may be asked follow-up questions which will test if you can defend your opinions and handle some pressure from interviewers.
  • Your insight and background knowledge of medicine – Having a background knowledge implies that your decision to study medicine is a well-informed one based on research, not merely a burning desire and that your motivations are genuine. Additionally, you can demonstrate your explanation skills.

How to approach this medicine MMI station

You need to pick an article that will let you demonstrate the above skills. You should have prepared several ethical and current news topics before your medicine interview that you are comfortable to talk about. Avoid tabloid newspapers. These are usually sensationalist and written by non-experts, poorly verified and often littered with errors. The following sources are examples of reliable sources and can be accessed online:

  • BBC News health section
  • Student BMJ
  • Guardian health section
  • NHS news section

You do not need to read advanced journals such as Nature. In fact, reading such journals would appear a little strange for many candidates given their stage of training. Although it is often the case if you had a special interest in a subject or have written a research paper on a topic you are more well-read then your expected level of education. Also for graduates, it is expected that they will have much broader reading including journals.

You need to be able to extract discussion points and multiple perspectives from these articles. For example, look at our guides to answering medicine interview questions such as should tobacco products be banned, allowing 14-year-old to consent to an abortion, should doctors be honest about their mistakes.

You should practice by discussing current events or articles with family and friends. This will make you more comfortable sharing and defending your opinions. Another useful tip is too read an article and then see if you can explain it in one or two sentences. This will train you to be able to extract the core message of an article. If you cannot do this, about a concept or an article perhaps you did not understand it as well as you thought, only possessing a superficial knowledge.

What type of article to choose:

Ethical topic: This is a good choice, as there is usually never a clear-cut answer and lots of different perspectives to talk about. It is also likely to be understood by all members of the panel. Medical ethics questions are often an easy way to “name drop” some GMC guidance or further reading you have done which shows you have good insight into medicine. You can read our many examples of medical ethics questions in the medical ethics and critical thinking section. They will guide you on how to discuss these types of issues.

Political topic/current news: For example, the 7-day NHS, the junior doctor contract, should the NHS be privatised. This is an option but can be challenging to get right. The problem is that these are controversial topics and you do not know the views of the panel and can risk alienating them. If you go down this route, do not get overly political. Give balanced answers, showing an understanding of different viewpoints. If you give an opinion do it after considering multiple perspectives.

Scientific topic: This is a good choice for more academically orientated interviews, e.g. Oxbridge, UCL etc. Pick a subject you know well and that you can handle follow up questions on. Remember, that the panellist may not be familiar with the topic and you could be more knowledgeable than them. A consultant ENT surgeon will probably not be aware of some highly specialised research on the new developments in treating multiple sclerosis that you are aware of because you did a project on it.

Common Mistakes to avoid with this medicine MMI interview question

Not having articles prepared: There are many things which you should have prepared before you medicine interview; examples of times where you showed leadership, teamwork, dealt with stress, saw good communication and so on. One thing you must also have prepared are a few articles and current topics you are aware of and have practised talking about with family and friends or mock interviews etc.

Not giving a balanced opinion: Consider the multiple perspectives and then if appropriate give your opinion. Do not rush to the final answer.

This is a common MMI station. For example in an MMI interview station at Kings Medical School, applicants were given a picture and asked to describe it so that someone who had no access to the image could understand the image. Other MMI explanation stations could include describing the current room, explaining what the internet is to an alien who has just landed on earth. Other examples include being asked to describe a picture (which both you and the examiner can see) of a person with an injured eye.

What is this medicine MMI interview question trying to assess?

The examiners may actually ask you if you know what this medicine interview question/MMI station is trying to assess or how it relates to doctors. If you are asked to describe a picture, this links to medicine as doctors must be able to explain their observations, e.g. signs observed on a patient, images such as X-rays and ultrasound. Additionally, doctors need to be able to explain complicated concepts clearly and learn how to do this to a range of people. For example, as a doctor, you will come across patients who suddenly deteriorate and then need to call a senior over the telephone to explain the situation and ask for advice. This can be related to the MMI scenario of explaining a picture or describing a room to someone who cannot see it. Can you use clear language, so the other person knows the situation? The doctor must also be able to adapt their communication style when explaining the same scenario to the patient and then to the family.

Overall, these types of medicine MMI station are testing your communication skills. This includes explaining concepts in a clear manner and adapting your approach depending on the audience (the actor or examiner may be playing a role, e.g. a child) and your success (if your approach is not working, change it).

How to approach this medicine MMI question

The key to these questions is to regularly practice with family and friends, e.g. explain to them what genes are or how vaccines work, try and describe pictures that they cannot see. The approach to this station is very similar to the explaining a task MMI station.

  • Look for any props: Is there a piece of paper to help you, are you allowed to use diagrams? Read the instructions carefully to make sure that this is allowed.
  • Confirm who the audience is: If the subject is role-playing a 7-year-old, your approach will be very different to if they are playing themselves as an adult.
  • Before starting, explain what you are going to do: “I have been asked to describe a picture to you which only I can see.”
  • Start off taking a very general approach, explain in small steps and do not forget to state the obvious: “This is a photograph of what appears to be a male’s face. It focuses on his eye area and shows an abnormality. His left eye appears normal; however, his right eye is abnormal, possible due to an injury. There is bruising all over his right eye socket. His eyeball is very red. His pupil is an unusual shape in the right eye and is no longer a regular circle.” – Notice how small sentences are used, details are gradually brought in.
  • Where describing images that other people can’t see, use references and analogies that they can understand: “I am looking at a colour photograph of a city. The picture reminds of something you would see in a postcard.” ”Imagine you were in a helicopter over a major city and looking straight down, this is the view that this image shows.”  
  • Stop and ask questions: “does that make sense so far?” “is there anything you want me to clarify?” This is very important, and could specifically be on the mark scheme.
  • Observe the subject: Use open body language and make eye contact. Do not show signs of frustration. Look at the subjects body language for any signs of confusion or frustration.
  • Deal with challenges: If the person doesn’t understand you at all, it may be worth changing your approach or using a different analogy or example.

Common mistakes to avoid with this medicine MMI interview question

Not stopping to ask if the person understands or has any questions – this can be done easily, “does that make sense so far, is there anything you want me to clarify?”

Not adjusting the approach to the audience: As discussed earlier, you would not explain something to a 7-year-old as you would to an adult. The most common mistake is treating a child just like an adult.

Examples of real past MMI stations include:

  • A close friend tells you they are considering dropping out university
  • A friend tells you they have started taking drugs. Their performance at school is suffering
  • A friend has been selling counterfeit clothes online and is scared of being caught as a friend has been arrested for doing the same thing

What is this medicine MMI interview question trying to assess?

Your communication skills, empathy and in some cases ethical values and attitudes.

How to approach this medicine MMI question

Environment: Are you in a place you can talk, or should you suggest sitting somewhere more private and appropriate?

Small talk: Don’t forget introductions and some small talk. Generally, in these MMI scenarios, the actor will initiate the conversation topics.

Do not interrupt: Allow the person to state their opinions and express their feelings. Do not offer your opinion too early.

Avoid being judgemental or too direct: instead of telling the person to tell their parents you could say “have you thought about telling your parents?”

Open questions: Try and use open questions throughout, but particularly so in the beginning “what are you thinking?” “what did you want to talk about?” “so you are nervous about telling your dad?… What is making you feel nervous?” “How is it affecting you?”

Active listening: You can show you are actively listening by saying “mm-hmm”, “ok”, nodding your head, maintaining eye contact, with facial expressions and other body language.

You don’t need an answer for every statement the actor has: You can paraphrase things back to them. If they say, “Its just starting to make me feel really down” you could respond with “so you are feeling really down?”. This will normally prompt the actor to say more. “So, then she got really angry?” “You think nobody is listening to you?” You can use general phrases like “that is a difficult situation.”

Use silence: Silences will generally appear longer to you than they really are. Don’t be afraid to use silences. Particularly when people are upset or angry, small moments of silence allow the person to gather their thoughts and initiate the next comment.

Empathy: You can show empathy in simple ways “oh gosh” “that sounds difficult”. It is crucial that you show empathy where appropriate.

Use props: Use them if there is a bottle of water or some tissues if someone cries or offer.

Pick up one cues and agendas: Perhaps the reason they are want to leave their job is because they are being harassed or there are problems at home? Explore cues further. If they say they are down, ask them about this, or paraphrase it back as we discussed above (“so you’re feeling down?”).

Consider how things are affecting them holistically:

  • Activities of daily living: Eating, sleeping, mobilising
  • Mentally: How are they coping, are they feeling down?
  • Financially: “How are you managing to pay for the drugs?”, losing their job, too sick to work etc
  • Socially: Who lives at home? “How is this affecting your relationship?” hobbies?

Try and end on a positive: This could include an action plan, but this is not always appropriate. You could say “let’s see how things get on and we can meet up again in a few days. How does that sound?”

Common mistakes to avoid with this medicine MMI interview question

Being judgemental or offering too much advice: Use more indirect approaches, “have you thought about speaking to your GP about this” instead of “I think you should go to your GP”. Also see the advice above about not needing an answer for every statement.