Over the last couple of years, more and more medical schools have been adopting the Multiple Mini Interview format. It is very likely that your students who are being invited to interview at medical schools will encounter this new style of interview. We thought we would share some thoughts and advice that you can pass onto your students so they can ace this very important part of their application process and not be caught off guard on interview day.
First, what is the Multiple Mini Interview?
The Multiple Mini Interview was first developed by researchers at McMaster University and spread to medical schools in Canada before being adopted in the U.S.. During the MMI, students can rotate through 6 to 10 timed stations. At every station, the student gets a question or task, answers or completes it and then moves onto the next station. This gives students a chance to interact with more members of the admissions committee and demonstrate their logical and ethical skills in a focused environment. But the format does lead to some anxieties, since it is unconventional compared to other interviews a student would have encountered in their Pre Med track.
We asked one of Kaplan’s phenomenal Admissions Consultants, Claudia Mikhail, MD, PhD, to share some of her insights into how students can be confident in the Mini Interviews. Here is the advice Dr. Mikhail has to offer, please share it with your students:
Most students have questions about how to approach MMI questions effectively. The first time they try, they’re often all over the place in terms of organizing their thoughts and communicating them effectively (two of the primary tasks of the MMI).
Here are some guidelines that enable students to address each scenario methodically. These tips help to take some of the unpredictability out of the experience and give students a feeling of control over each interaction.
These strategies were formulated in response to the practice MMI questions provided by McGill School of Medicine, and offer only a basic framework. Students should be able to adapt their approach as required by the given scenario.
Before the interview:
- Become comfortable talking about your Clinical, Academic, Research, and Extracurricular/Employment (CARE) activities and how they’ve motivated and prepared you for a career in medicine.
- Be able to articulate clearly why you’d like to become a physician, what qualities are required of a good physician (and how you meet these requirements), and what you would like to achieve as a physician.
- Stay current on local and national healthcare issues
- Read and become comfortable talking about basic cases in medical ethics, being able to discuss both sides of the issue clearly
- Work on formal practice questions
On interview day:
When you approach the station:
- Read the question and determine the core of what they’re asking you
- Identify the key players and their perspectives on the issue
- Formulate your opinion
When you enter the room:
- Begin by summarizing the question they’re asking you
- Discuss the various aspects of the issue
- Offer your opinion, citing relevant personal experiences and exploring additional potential solutions as appropriate
- Summarize your stance to conclude
Last year, we conducted a Spotlight Event on the Multiple Mini Interview, the link for the event can be found here. Please share this with your students as well!
And finally, in Kaplan’s 2012 Medical School Admissions Officer Survey, 17% of respondents reported that their school currently uses the MMI process – up from 6% in 2011. To learn more about the MMI and the results of our 2012 survey of admissions officers, you can watch our recent Medical School Spotlight event here. Please share this with your students as well!
We hope these pieces of valuable advice will serve you and your students well in understanding the complexity and simplicity of this new interview format. Until next time!
