What to Expect from Medical School Interviews (MMI Format)

The UCLan MMIs involve 10 individual activities, each lasting seven minutes, during which there are two minutes to read about the activity and five minutes of interaction with an MMI assessor to do the activity. The assessor might be a scientist or clinical teacher; they could also be a patient volunteer or actor.

The MMI activities will see if you can “think on your feet”, rather than provide rehearsed answers. Ask the assessor if you do not understand the task.

During the MMIs you will move from one activity to the next until you have completed all 10 activities. So, in effect the entire medical school interview lasts 70 minutes. This can seem a long time, but this offers the school the fairest way to decide whether you should be given the opportunity to study medicine above other applicants.

At UCLan we have one MMI station dedicated to discussing your transferable skills statement, a document which we ask you to complete which lets you tell us about your experience of caring for others.

At each MMI station your performance is assessed. The stations are all worth the same amount of marks and your overall total will be calculated and compared to that of other applicants. If you perform poorly in one station, don’t be put off – remember it is only worth 10% and you can recover by gaining a much better performance in another station. However, failure at four or more stations will mean an overall interview fail at UCLan.

No immediate feedback on your performance will be given. You are assessed against a range of criteria and also given an overall station performance score. Candidates are ranked according to their score. Feedback is provided after you have been informed whether you have been offered a place. You will be given your numerical score and that of the cohort average.

The MMI is difficult to prepare for – but look at the skills and attributes of a doctor listed on websites such as the General Medical Council and journals such as student British Medical Journal. Keep up to date with current news in the medical field, and review the types of dilemmas that health professionals have to consider.

Don’t forget you’ve done really well to get this far. Keep calm and listen carefully. Read the instructions and make sure you know what you are being asked to do. Make sure you aware of the time you are taking so you complete the activity. Make the most of your medical school interviews, ask all the questions you have and take time to meet the staff and explore the facilities... Hopefully this will be where you study for the next five years! 

About the UCLan MBBS program

The University of Central Lancashire’s MBBS program for self-funded and sponsored international (non-EU) students offers an innovative approach to medical education, with a state-of-the-art curriculum co-designed with local patients. Our facilities are some of the most modern in the UK and in a recent survey, 96% of our students rated their learning experience as good or very good.