What is an MMI?
The Multiple Mini Interview format, explained — and how to actually prepare for it.
Multiple short stations, each scored independently
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is the interview format used by most Canadian medical schools, a growing number of US programs, and many CaRMS residency programs. Instead of a single long interview, applicants rotate through multiple short stations — typically 6 to 10 — each presenting a different scenario or question type.
MMI stations commonly include:
- Ethical dilemma discussions
- Role-playing scenarios
- Healthcare policy questions
- Personal experience questions
- Teamwork and collaboration exercises
- Critical thinking problems
The MMI is designed to be harder to game than a traditional interview — each station is scored independently, so one bad answer doesn’t sink your whole day. But it requires a different kind of preparation: you need to be comfortable thinking on your feet across many topic types, not just rehearsing a set of canned answers.
A typical MMI station
Read the prompt at the door
You stand outside the station and read a short scenario or question on a card. A timed window to process, plan your opening, and think through where the scenario could go.
Discuss with the interviewer
Inside the station, an interviewer (or actor) listens to your response and follows up on what you actually say. Stations move fast and the interviewer may push on your reasoning.
Move to the next station
Bell rings, you rotate. Each station is scored independently by a fresh evaluator, so a single bad answer doesn’t sink the whole day — but it also means no warm-up.
Non-cognitive skills, measured across stations
The MMI was designed to assess the soft skills academic transcripts can’t — the ones that matter most once you’re in a clinical setting. Each station targets a different dimension.
Communication
Can you explain a difficult idea clearly, listen actively, and tailor your tone to the person across from you? Role-play stations are the classic test here.
Ethical reasoning
Can you identify the competing values in a scenario, walk through multiple perspectives, and land on a defensible position without sounding rehearsed? Ethics stations reward structured thinking, not memorized answers.
Critical thinking
Can you break down an unfamiliar problem, weigh evidence, and handle follow-ups that push back on your reasoning? Policy and current-events prompts probe this directly.
Teamwork & professionalism
Can you collaborate, accept feedback, and acknowledge your own limits? Teamwork stations put you in a shared task with a partner; professionalism stations probe how you handle conflict and responsibility.
Practice that mirrors the real format
Our MMI practice mirrors the real format: a timed reading phase, then a video interviewer that listens to your answer, asks follow-up questions, and probes your reasoning. Same structure, plenty of reps.
MMI practice is included in both Medical School and Residency interview prep plans. Pick the one that matches you.