Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) Foundations of the MMI Format Syllabus

What is a "role-play" (actor/simulated) MMI station?

A station where the candidate interacts with a trained actor playing a patient, colleague or member of the public, assessing communication and empathy in a simulated scenario.

What is a "task-based" or practical MMI station?

A station requiring a hands-on or collaborative task (e.g. building/describing an object, instructing another person, prioritisation exercise) to assess communication, teamwork or problem-solving.

What is a "calculation" or data-interpretation MMI station designed to assess?

Numerical reasoning and the ability to work with figures/data under time pressure, relevant to safe clinical practice (e.g. drug dosing logic, interpreting a graph).

Give two common on-the-day format variations of MMIs that schools may use.

In-person physical circuits vs online/virtual MMIs; and use of actors/role-play vs interviewer-only discussion stations (also: rest/break stations, paired stations).

What is an online (virtual) MMI and how does rotation work?

An MMI delivered over video conferencing where candidates are moved between virtual "rooms"/breakout sessions instead of physically walking between stations; timing and independence are preserved digitally.

What is a "rest station" (break station) in an MMI circuit?

A station with no assessment task, giving the candidate a short pause to compose themselves before continuing the circuit.

In the UK, list four examples of medical schools known for using MMIs.

Examples include Dundee, Manchester, St George's, Plymouth (Peninsula), Keele, Aberdeen, Cardiff, and Queen Mary (Barts) — any four.

Do all UK medical schools use the MMI format?

No — UK schools vary; some use MMIs, some use traditional panel interviews, and some use no formal interview, so applicants must check each school's current method.

How does a dental school MMI differ in content emphasis from a medical school MMI?

Dental MMIs add dentistry-specific themes — manual dexterity/fine-motor awareness, understanding of dental procedures and NHS vs private dentistry, and motivation specifically for dentistry rather than medicine.

Name a manual-dexterity-style task that may appear in a dental MMI.

Tasks such as wire bending, sculpting/carving, soap or wax shaping, or precise model assembly to demonstrate fine motor control.

What body regulates doctors in the UK and sets the core professional values tested in MMIs?

The General Medical Council (GMC).

Which key GMC guidance document outlines the duties and core values of a doctor used to frame MMI ethics stations?

"Good Medical Practice" (GMC).

State the four domains of the GMC's Good Medical Practice framework.

1) Knowledge, skills and development (Professional capabilities); 2) Patients, partnership and communication; 3) Colleagues, culture and safety; 4) Trust and professionalism (maintaining trust).

Which UK organisation published the framework of core attributes that medical schools select for, often mapped in MMIs?

The Medical Schools Council (MSC).

Name four core attributes from the Medical Schools Council's framework that MMIs aim to assess.

Examples: motivation for medicine, communication skills, empathy/compassion, honesty and integrity, resilience/coping with pressure, and ability to treat others with respect (any four).

What document sets out the values that staff and patients can expect from the NHS, frequently referenced in MMI ethics stations?

The NHS Constitution (for England).

List the six core values of the NHS Constitution.

1) Working together for patients; 2) Respect and dignity; 3) Commitment to quality of care; 4) Compassion; 5) Improving lives; 6) Everyone counts.

Which NHS Constitution value emphasises that resources are used fairly and no one is excluded or discriminated against?

"Everyone counts."

Which NHS Constitution value centres on responding with humanity and kindness to pain, distress and anxiety?

"Compassion."

What are the four pillars (principles) of medical ethics commonly applied at MMI ethics stations?

Autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

Define "autonomy" as a pillar of medical ethics.

Respecting a competent patient's right to make their own informed decisions about their care, including the right to refuse treatment.

Define "non-maleficence" as a pillar of medical ethics.

The duty to "first, do no harm" — avoiding causing unnecessary injury or harm to the patient.

What are the three core components of valid consent often tested in MMI scenarios?

Capacity, sufficient information (informed), and voluntariness (free from coercion).

What is "confidentiality" and when can it be broken, as relevant to MMI ethics stations?

The duty to keep patient information private; it may be breached only with consent, when required by law, or when disclosure is in the public interest (e.g. serious risk of harm to others).

Why might a school combine an MMI with other selection tools (e.g. UCAT, personal statement)?

To assess different attributes — academic/cognitive ability and prior achievement via tests/applications, and interpersonal, ethical and communication attributes via the MMI — giving a more holistic, valid selection.

What is the UK admissions test commonly used alongside MMIs for many medical/dental schools?

The UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test); some schools historically used the BMAT (now discontinued).

How should a candidate treat a poor performance at one MMI station, and why is this strategy justified?

Reset and start the next station fresh — because of assessor independence, a weak station cannot affect later scores, so dwelling on it only harms subsequent performance.

What does it mean that MMI stations are "blueprinted"?

Each station is deliberately designed to map onto a specific desired attribute/competency from the school's selection framework, ensuring the circuit covers all required domains.

Compare an MMI with a traditional panel interview in one line on assessor exposure.

A traditional panel interview exposes the candidate to one shared panel making a single holistic judgement, whereas an MMI exposes the candidate to many independent assessors each judging one task.

Why is the MMI generally considered fairer to a nervous candidate than a single long interview?

Because there are multiple short, independent stations, a shaky start or one bad station has limited impact — the candidate gets several fresh chances to demonstrate their attributes.