The MMI consists of approximately 12-15 different stations, most of which are around 5 minutes long. Previously there has also been an additional 20-minute station which involves group work and assesses the candidate’s suitability for Lancaster Medical Schools’ problem-based learning curriculum.
Interviewers include members of the University’s staff, NHS clinicians, local GPs, patients, public representatives, and medical students.
Candidates are assessed on their:
Lancaster explains that ‘no applicant will be offered a place without being interviewed in person.’ MMIs will be conducted in January or February. You will be provided with two weeks’ notice before your interview. The MMI will be 12-15 stations long.
As with any interview, it is all about managing the interviewer’s perception of you and painting yourself in the best light possible. With 12-14 stations there are a large number of people which need to be impressed in a short space of time. Therefore it is imperative that you focus solely on the station you are at, at present and treat each one as a new opportunity to impress the interviewers.
Learn the best interview strategies and practice with past interview questions & model answers.
General/Personal Statement Station: This station will involve discussion of your extracurricular work and volunteer experiences (if any), including what you learned about a future medical career from these experiences. This may include questions such as:
Role play Station: This may involve interactions with a trained actor, or medical school student as well as an observer. For effective ways to navigate this type of station review BlackStone Tutors “6 Stages of MMI Role Play” as well as the MMI Question Bank for a range of role play stations to practice.
Observation Station: This station may involve watching a short consultation video with note taking opportunity. From here, you discuss your findings at a subsequent station. Example Observation Stations can be found in the Online MMI Question Bank.
Ethical Dilemma: You are given five minutes to read a short paragraph that outlines an ethical dilemma, make notes and consider your opinion. You are then allowed a further five minutes in the next station to discuss your thoughts with an examiner. This station will assess your ability to identify the issues and articulate your opinion. A range of MMI Ethical Scenarios can be found in the MMI Question Bank.
Prioritisation Task: You are given 10 minutes to read through a problem-based learning (PBL) scenario, asked to identify the ten most important points and to justify why you thought they were important. At the following station, you are then allowed a further five minutes to discuss and defend your choices. Review the BlackStone Tutors 5 Step Approach to Prioritisation Tasks to help you excel in this station.
Teamwork Station: This is an additional 20-minute station involving group work. It assesses your suitability for Lancaster University’s problem-based learning curriculum where the small groups are presented with a ‘problem’ or case study. This station should not be underestimated; a range of tips and common pitfalls during teamwork tasks can be found in the MMI Question Bank as well as a number of example teamwork stations.
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