We use Multiple Mini Interviews, or MMIs, as part of our admissions process in the School of Medicine. They give us a broad view of the skills you need to become a competent doctor.
This page has more information about MMIs and how you can prepare.
As well as being academically capable, successful doctors need the ability to remain calm in stressful situations, to adapt to and work well in unfamiliar circumstances, and to listen and communicate effectively – not only with individual patients, but within a team.
MMIs are designed to gain insight into your personal qualities and cognitive skills. It's a style of interview that's commonly used by medical schools, and consists of a series of six mini-interviews ('stations'), each lasting seven minutes with one minute reading of instructions outside each station.
After completing each station you move straight onto the next and follow a pre-arranged circuit, until you have completed all the stations.
The mini-interviews will be carried out by members of our Medicine course team, healthcare professionals, junior doctors and service users. We don't directly use your personal statement in the selection process, but you should be prepared to discuss or use aspects of it at the MMIs.
Typically, there is one interviewer per station, but be prepared for more than one, as some stations may involve ‘actors’, who you will interact with. For example, you may be given a scenario to read and then discuss and play a role with the actor in front of an interviewer.
The interviewer will give you a mark for your performance at each station.
The six stations can be seen as independent of each other, so in effect you have six fresh starts. We believe MMIs offer a fair way to assess your thinking and communication skills, and the personal values which will shape the kind of doctor you will become.
MMI questions will test your preparation and motivation to study medicine. The object of the interviews is to assess your ability to respond spontaneously to various scenarios, without coaching. Areas that are tested will include:
You'll be expected to answer questions or respond to scenarios candidly and to the best of your ability. A good place to practise MMI questions is on The Medic Portal website.
You'll be scored in three domains on each station, and the scores added together. The three domains include:
Each domain is marked out of five, so a station carries a maximum score of 15.
Two stations are domain double-weighted, carrying a maximum score of 30.
The maximum score for the six station MMI is 120.
Congratulations if you've been shortlisted for an MMI.
Our Admissions Team will send you information about booking and accessing your MMI. Please make sure you read it thoroughly.
Interview days can be nerve-wracking and we encourage you to allow plenty of time for preparation. Due to the tight schedules we work to, if you're delayed, we may not be able to interview you.
Take a look at our top tips on preparing for your MMI:
You can also look at the Medical Schools Council website, which has information for applicants on preparing for interviews – both structured panel interviews and MMIs.
Our interviews will take place on our Chelmsford campus between 1 December 2023 and 12 January 2024.
Our Admissions Team will send you information about accessing your MMI. Please make sure you read it thoroughly.
Please bring the same photo ID you uploaded to the portal as proof of your identity; this will be checked by our Admissions Team. ID can be:
You must bring at least one of these proofs of ID to your interview.
Finally, good luck!