On Sunday 1 December a group of Upper Sixth prospective medical pupils participated in a Mock Medicine Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) in school. This event was an invaluable opportunity with six highly experienced General Practitioners who regularly sit on university interview panels and contribute to the design of MMI questions for medical schools. 
The mock MMI consisted of six stations, each with a different theme. The boys were given two minutes to read the instructions before entering each station, where they spent six minutes answering questions. Interviewers provided prompts, if needed, simulating the real MMI experience.
Ruben Jacob, one of the participants, shared his thoughts, “It gave me a good taster of how this type of medicine interview would be formatted, moving around multiple stations for short interviews. The main feedback I received was to have more ideas to answer questions with. I’ve been practising more questions by myself and comparing my answers to ‘mark schemes’ to see if I covered most of the possible ideas.”
For many boys, structuring answers during the brief reading time and speaking coherently for six minutes without repetition was a significant challenge. The mock interview highlighted the importance of preparation and the ability to present answers succinctly and effectively to doctors and MMI panel members.
Upper Sixth Former Nathan Tharakan noted, “The main feedback I received was to clearly signpost what I would talk about in my response. To address this, I started incorporating a brief outline at the beginning of my answers, listing the points I would cover before discussing each one.”
The boys were filmed at one station so they could review their body language and eye contact with the interviewer. This provided them with a visual understanding of their non-verbal communication skills, which are crucial in medical interviews.
The mock MMI also provided insights into personal motivations for pursuing a career in medicine. Nathan shared, “My inspiration came from my grandfather, who has certain conditions. Spending time with him in hospitals gave me an initial insight into a medical career. Later, hospital work experience showed me the doctor’s perspective, and I realised that the combination of communication skills and subject knowledge required to be a doctor resonated with me.”
Upper Sixth Former Sahvan Jutla, who also took part, reflected on the challenge of fitting all his thoughts into the allotted time. Sahvan explained, “The mock interview helped me prepare for my real medical interviews as the mock used similar questions to what could be asked.
I was told to look at the interviewer more and to structure my answers better. I have been responding to the feedback by doing some wider reading/note-taking on the weak areas they highlighted to me, as well as practising MMI questions.”
Overall, the mock MMI was a crucial step in preparing these aspiring doctors for their future careers, providing them with practical experience and valuable feedback to refine their interview skills.
