What you need to know about MMI Interviews

Updated 24th September 2017

What is the MMI?

MMI stands for Multiple Mini Interview. The MMI was developed by McMaster University in Canada and is now widely used for selection into Australian graduate medical schools. This interview format sees the candidate participate in several stations, each with a trigger (eg. ethical scenario, interview question or even a practical task) that are designed to test a different skill or quality (eg. empathy, professionalism, communication skills). Once you have passed the GAMSAT exam, you will receive a medical school interview in time. 

I won’t find out if I have an interview for months. What can I do between now and August/September?

You don’t get given a whole lot of time between interview offers and the interviews themselves so it’s a good idea to start informing yourself now!

Know the format – Different universities run the MMI differently. For example, USyd uses a 5 station format (7 minutes each), UMelb uses 8 stations (5 minutes each) and Deakin University uses 10 stations (5 minutes each). Although you’ll only interview at one GEMSAS university, it’s worth having a quick look at what the various formats are. For more information, check out our article How the MMI differs between Australian medical schools.

Know the focus - Some universities stick to non-medical ‘everyday’ ethical scenarios (eg. Your friend wants you to sign their name off for tutorials), whereas others often work in medical/scientific issues (eg. Define an ‘enzyme’ in lay terms), and some even incorporate traditional interview questions (eg. Why do you want to study medicine?). Look into what type of MMI your preferenced universities run so that you’re aware of exactly what you’ll have to focus on once you get your interview offer.

Know the favourites – Universities generally like to reuse their MMI questions so having a look at past questions is a great way to start thinking about what types of things you would need to address in your response.

So first and foremost, do your research – start with official university resources (some are more tight-lipped than others), talk to anyone who has gone through the process before, and check out medical forums like Paging Dr.

Check out our GAMSAT To Med School Podcast for more tips & tricks to ace your medical school interview, applying to medical school, and life at med school.

Erica Danieletto is currently in her first year of medicine at the University of Sydney.