Currently, at least 37 medical schools in the U.S. offer the MMI. A typical MMI day lasts about nine hours.
Starting the multiple mini interview day
If you have a morning interview, check-in can begin as early as 7:15am which may include eating breakfast with medical students. After breakfast, the dean or assistant dean will generally give a welcome speech. If you are selected for the first shift of MMIs, you will be introduced to the MMI style and given the school’s guidelines. Some schools allow you to have a pen and pad to take notes, other schools do not allow it. If you are unsure about any guidelines, ask. Usually, there is a break before the MMI begins.
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What to expect during your MMI
Most schools have anywhere from 8 to 10 different stations with 2 minutes of prep time and 6 minutes to provide a response. Some schools have the prompt printed and taped to a door that you can read before entering a room to respond or participate in a collaborative or actor scenario. Some MMIs are hosted in large open rooms, where you can see (and hear) all the different stations. Different schools have different procedures. Some schools will have interviewers introduce themselves at the beginning or you may meet interviewers at the station as you are giving your response. Most schools will have an interviewer who is intentionally abrasive to see how you handle difficult personalities and stressful situations. Expect at least one difficult interviewer per school. They may also have an intentionally friendly interviewer who is constantly giving you compliments, to see how you handle it. The MMI can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half or longer, depending on the number of stations.
After the MMI, lunch is provided and often hosted by medical students. After lunch, they often provide a tour of the school or a particular area of its facilities. Usually, there is a presentation at the very end with closing statements.
One of the students I helped prepare for the MMI provided the feedback that “the mocks were very good at preparing me.” She emphasized the importance of being yourself and not stressing. While most schools do not rank you lower for being nervous, it often does not help you articulate your responses.
Tips for multiple mini interview preparation
- Avoid coffee or foods with high caffeine levels (like chocolate)
- Exercise every other day or more
- Review an updated copy of your CV or resume every day before the interview
- Practice, practice, practice!
For more assistance, work with one of the expert advisors at Accepted. Preparing students for interviews is my favorite part of the process! I strive to help each student improve their interviewing skills on multiple levels from the rhetoric of their responses to the way they present themselves through posture and facial expressions. Explore Accepted’s MMI Interview Services for more information on how we can help you prep for your MMI…and get ACCEPTED!
Alicia McNease Nimonkar worked for 5 years as the Student Advisor & Director at the UC Davis School of Medicine's postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and other health professional programs. She has served Accepted's clients since 2012 with roughly a 90% success rate. She has a Master of Arts in Composition and Rhetoric as well as Literature. Want Alicia to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!
Related Resources:
• The Ultimate Guide to Medical School Interview Success, a free guide
• Practice, Practice and More Practice to Prep for Your Med School Interview
• The Multiple Mini (MMI) Interview: 4 Simple Strategies to Get Accepted
