What is a MMI?
A MMI stands for Multi Mini Interview, and they are very common for academic programs such as Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Vet Medicine and Physiotherapy. Interviewees will be divided into stations with set timers and designated questions.
Structure of the MMI
Typical timing and answer structure will be found below:
Reading the Question: 2 Minutes
- Question will be provided to you, and you will be given a set time to read, write down notes and prepare your answer for interviewer at the station
Enter the Stations: 6-8 minutes
- Enter the station, shake hands and introduce yourself
- Provide a summary of question asked
- Ask for prompts if needed
- Explore perspectives of question being asked
- Ultimately pick a direction or side to question being asked
- Provide a summary towards end
Feedback: 2 minutes
- If permitted, a few minutes of worth of feedback will be provided to you regarding answer
- Be receptive of feedback and do not take personally, they will be monitoring your response to it
Types of Questions
- Ethical Dilemma (Policy and Procedures)
- Critical Thinking (
- Problem Solving (role play, puzzle activity)
- Current Event or Current Occupational Trends
- Standard Interview Questions
Tips for MMI Preparation
Start building a foundation, you should have responses in the back of your mind for:
- Why the occupation/field and program you applied for?
- What are your biggest strengths you bring?
- What are areas of weakness and how are you working on it? What are your biases?
- Communication style and how do you navigate conflict and hard conversations
- What is your problem-solving style?
- How do you handle stress? How do you manage tasks and work/life balance?
- What personal, professional and academic experiences do you have that relate to occupation/field?
Be mindful of verbal and non-verbal cues in answering questions
- Be careful of tone and pacing
- Use professional, non-judgmental and objective language
- Do not ramble just to fill silence, take a couple moments to think before responding
- Professional dress and confident posture
- Be mindful of fidgeting
- Do not be a content expert, admit when you do not know and lean into your transferrable skills and experiences to address a problem being presented
- Bring a note pad and pen if needed
Practice, Practice, Practice
- On your own and with others such as a Career Coach
- Get exposure to different questions but still build the foundation as it will tie back to a lot of the questions being asked
- Trust your experiences and abilities, most MMI interview settings will be stoic and reciprocal but do not let this break your confidence