How to prepare for an MMI interview: a practical plan

What an MMI is and why programs use it

The multiple mini interview was developed at McMaster University. In 2004, researchers there published the first study of it in the journal Medical Education: 117 applicants to McMaster's MD program went through 10 short stations modelled on the clinical skills exams used in medical training. The authors found that how a candidate performed depended heavily on the particular station, which is a problem for a single long interview, since one conversation samples only one situation. Spreading the interview across many short stations, each with a different assessor, gives a fuller picture.

Since then the format has spread widely in Canada and elsewhere, to medicine and to programs such as pharmacy, occupational therapy and other health professions. It is designed to sample personal qualities like communication, ethical reasoning, collaboration and judgement. McMaster's MD admissions page states that applicants are not assessed on scientific knowledge.

How the day works

The details change by school and year, so treat these as typical rather than fixed. Before each station you get a short reading period, often about two minutes, to read a prompt. Then you have several minutes with an assessor or an actor. A signal tells you to move on, and the next station starts fresh with a different person.

Programs also set rules. McGill's 2026 instructions, for example, allowed only a pen or pencil and scrap paper, required a signed non-disclosure agreement and stated that paid training is unnecessary. Agreements like that mean you should not seek out or share real station content from past applicants, both because it breaks the rules and because stations change.

Station types you may meet

• Ethical scenario. A situation with competing values. You are judged on how you reason, not on reaching one right answer.
• Role-play with an actor. For example, telling someone about a mistake or calming an upset person. Listening and empathy matter more than speed.
• Collaborative task. You work with a partner or group, such as describing a drawing for someone to reproduce. Clear instructions and checking understanding count.
• Policy or current issue. A health or social topic with several sides. Show you can weigh groups who would be affected.
• Personal or motivation question. Why this field, a time you failed, a conflict you handled. Use specific, honest examples.

Some stations combine types: a scenario followed by probing questions from the assessor, or a task followed by reflection. If you are unsure what a prompt wants, it is fine to say how you understand it before you answer.

A simple structure for scenario answers

A clear structure keeps you from rushing to a verdict, which is the most common weakness in practice answers.

1. Name the central issue and who is affected.
2. Describe how each person might see the situation.
3. Say what information you would want before acting, and avoid assuming facts the prompt did not give.
4. Lay out two or three realistic options and their likely effects.
5. Choose one and explain why it best balances the values involved. Mention when you would involve someone with more authority.
6. If time remains, add follow-up steps or what you would learn from the situation.

For questions about your own experiences, the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) works well, especially if you add a sentence about what you would do differently.

Ethics basics worth knowing

Many ethical stations draw on four widely taught principles of health ethics, set out in Beauchamp and Childress's book Principles of Biomedical Ethics. You do not need to name them, but knowing them helps you notice what is at stake.

• Autonomy: respecting a capable person's right to make informed choices about their own life and care.
• Beneficence: acting in the person's best interest.
• Non-maleficence: avoiding harm, and weighing risks against benefits.
• Justice: fairness in how resources, risks and benefits are shared.

Related ideas come up often: informed consent, capacity to make a decision, confidentiality and its narrow limits when someone is at serious risk, honesty, and conflicts of interest. McGill points applicants to the CanMEDS roles, a Canadian framework describing what physicians need to be able to do, which is worth reading if you are applying to medicine. Our interview and MMI skills flashcards cover these terms, and the situational judgement practice deck gives everyday scenarios to reason through.

A four-week practice plan

Short, regular, timed practice beats long cramming sessions. This plan assumes about 30 to 45 minutes on most days.

When you review recordings, look for patterns rather than single mistakes: finishing far too early, giving a verdict before gathering facts, or sounding memorized. Write your own prompts based on everyday situations, such as a teammate not doing their share or a friend asking to copy work; you do not need real station questions to practise well.

On the day

• For a virtual MMI, test your camera, microphone and connection in advance, and use a quiet, well-lit room.
• Treat every station as a new start. A rough station tells you nothing about the next one.
• Use the reading time to note the issue and the people involved.
• Speak for most of the time available without rushing, and summarize at the end.
• If you need accommodations, request them early in writing. McMaster asks for at least one month before the first interview date, and McGill asked for requests within three days of the invitation in 2026.

For the application stage that comes before the interview, our guide to the OUAC 101 and 105 covers Ontario timelines, and the university hub collects our admissions and first-year resources.