Do you need an MMI prep course to ace your interview? There is so much useful information on the internet that it may seem like additional courses are unnecessary. In reality, the majority of students would greatly benefit from prep courses, especially MMI prep help. However, the usefulness of courses highly depends on what the course offers, what skills it can help you build, and its guarantees. In this article, we will explain how an MMI interview prep course can help, why you need one, and how to find the best MMI prep course for you!


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19 min read

What Is an MMI Interview Prep Course? How Can an MMI Interview Prep Course Help Me? What the Best MMI Interview Prep Course Should Have Conclusion FAQs

What Is an MMI Prep Course?

An MMI, or multiple mini interview prep course provides applicants to professional programs with expert help in preparing for their multiple-mini interviews. MMIs are becoming increasingly popular as evaluation tools for applicants to many post-secondary professional programs, in the health-related disciplines in particular. For instance, MMIs are commonly seen in medical school requirements as well as nursing school requirements, dental school requirements and PA school requirements.

Since the MMI can make or break your admission to certain professional programs, many students invest in a prep course to not only ace the interview but reap the long-term benefits of expert help.

MMI interview prep courses help students ace this unique and challenging interview format through the use of mock interviews, professional feedback, and expert strategies for tackling different types of MMI questions. Performing well in your MMI interview is crucial, and it can be difficult to prepare for without assistance. Nisha, a medical school applicant and one of our BeMo success stories, says MMI prep was especially invaluable during her premed journey.

“It's really very daunting to experience the MMI process without some sort of guidance … a completely live mock interview really gave me an idea of what I was going into for the MMI. [It] gave me the confidence I needed to answer the questions to the best of my ability.” – Nisha, BeMo student

 

Professional Programs Which Use MMI Interviews

Do I Need an MMI Prep Course?

So, do you really need an MMI interview prep course to ace your interviews? Not everyone needs an interview prep course or MMI interview coaching to do well, but it can certainly be a huge help in learning how to prepare for this type of interview format. An MMI interview prep course provides expert advice on practicing for your MMI and developing the critical professional skills you will need. It can also help demystify the sometimes unfamiliar process for most students.

One of our BeMo applicants, Collette, found MMI prep to be a great resource in helping her prepare for this assessment.

“[My MMI prep] was great at helping me navigate various difficult scenarios I could possibly face in the MMI … He also encouraged me and gave me useful resources that helped my preparation. [The] feedback [was] clear, constructive and honest. All in all, it was a great experience.” – Collette, BeMo student

 

Ian, another successful BeMo applicant, said the guidance of MMI prep gave him a new perspective on multiple mini interviews.

“My MMI prep session … was invaluable. [My MMI coach] did a good job right from the start simulating how I imagine interviewers will be on the real thing. His feedback that followed gave me new perspective. He was especially adept at helping me prioritize what I should focus on and gave me tips that were specific and realistically achievable within the time I have to prep. Highly recommend.” – Ian, BeMo student

 

If you’re not sure if you need an MMI interview prep course to succeed, ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Are you lacking in any aspects of your professional behavior?
  2. Could you benefit from help with articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely?
  3. Do you need guidance on developing strong decision-making skills?
  4. Should you work on improving your time management and organizational skills?
  5. Are you unsure how to prepare for the MMI interview?
  6. Are you unfamiliar with the MMI format, question types, and answer strategies?
  7. Do you get nervous during interviews or have trouble performing under pressure?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the good news is that an MMI interview course can help you! One of the most critical tools of an MMI interview prep course is a mock interview, which simulates the real thing and allows you to practice and get comfortable with this unique interview format. This, combined with the advice and guidance of a professional MMI consultant, provides you with the best MMI prep possible. Read on to find out how an MMI interview prep course can help you and what you should look for in your ideal course.

Want to see a realistic mock MMI session? Check out this video:

How Can an MMI Interview Prep Course Help Me?

As the final hurdle you need to cross before admission, acing your MMI is the key to acceptance to many professional programs. Professional programs use the multiple mini-interview to assess whether applicants possess the necessary skills to succeed in their programs. This type of interview is designed to amp up the pressure and make you feel slightly off-kilter. Evaluators want to see how you respond and whether you can demonstrate the skills they’re looking for.

Not everyone possesses communication skills, organization, time management, attention to detail, and so on. These skills are acquired and not innate, so if for a multitude of reasons you did not have an opportunity to develop them, you may not perform well in an interview and in other situations that require these skills. This is where interview prep courses come in handy. Prep courses should be viewed as investments in your development. A good course can help you build essential skills and behaviors important for professional life. So, what kind of skills can you expect to develop? Read on below:

#1 Learn How to Be Articulate

Good articulation and sound reasoning are useful competencies in any professional setting. In a good prep course for MMI, you will start by learning and developing these strategies for use in your interview. Further, different types of MMI questions require different answer structures and approaches. Not only will you be able to learn the structure first-hand, but you will also be able to apply what you learn during your mock MMIs, thus solidifying your tactics. Learning the strategies theoretically is a good first step, but you must have a chance to actually use the strategies and receive personalized feedback to learn what you are doing well and what aspects of your answers still need work.

With MMI prep and mock MMI interviews, our student Leslie was able to identify and correct any errors, and improve the overall clarity and strength of her answers.

“The opportunity to practice my MMI stations … allowed me to play back my videos and see how I interacted with the camera and whether or not my answers were actually as clear and concise as I thought they could be …. [It] really helps me to tailor my answers so that I was always coming across as well-rounded as I possibly could and meeting the check marks for answering the questions thoroughly.” – Leslie, BeMo student

 

Answer strategies you will learn are applicable outside of MMI interviews, too. The question types you prep for are used in most interview formats. So, what you learn for a medical school interview, nursing school interview, or interview for another professional program will inevitably be useful for residency interview questions or job interview questions. You will also encounter many interviews throughout your professional life that will consist of similar question types.

#2 Build Time Management Skills

This skill is closely connected to our previous point. The ability to articulate a concise but comprehensive answer is extremely valuable in professional and personal life. MMI stations are timed, and you must be able to provide a complete answer within the time window you are given. Better still, the best MMI prep course should help you develop the ability to provide a quality answer in an even shorter time window. This means that no matter what time limits you encounter in your MMI and beyond, you will be able to articulate a comprehensive, well-structured answer on the spot.

Of course, developing this time management skill takes time and effective practice. Dr. Tony Huynh, DO, a med school admissions expert and graduate of the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine says there’s nothing like perfect practice—and we agree!

“I believe nothing beats practice. By going through the questions and timing oneself rigidly, time management and prioritization become more apparent for students … I believe that the major strategy that helped me personally [with MMI prep] was practice questions and time management.” – Dr. Tony Huynh, DO, TUN-COM

 

Interested in a summary of how an MMI interview prep course can help you? Check out this infographic:

#3 Develop Critical Thinking Skills

MMI questions and prompts, for example, critical thinking nursing interview questions, can often be quite long and elaborate. It takes great analytical and critical thinking skills to identify the most important aspects of the question/prompt and address them directly. Questions may be purposefully worded in a way to lead you astray from the critical issue, so it’s essential to develop skills to recognize the core of the question and to ignore the “red herring” of the question at hand.

Prep courses might use MMI ethical questions and answers or MMI policy questions and answers as practice for critical analysis and decision making, as these are two common question types you can expect. MMI prep strategies include the development of such skills. And as you can imagine, these abilities is important for all aspects of our lives, whether professional or personal.

A good MMI interview prep course will help you develop these soft skills and build your critical thinking and professional analysis. Our students Candace and Ahmed are great examples of how interview prep can develop more than just your interview skills.

“[My BeMo consultant] also introduced memorable strategies to approach these kinds of questions. He showed me how to tweak the strategies for certain questions and be fluid in my critical thinking. His examples helped illustrate his points and I can see how to apply it personally and concretely … In addition, I was challenged with a few panel questions and quirky questions, which can be used in MMIs. This was [a] good exercise and made me realize that I still have some more homework to do.” – Candace, BeMo student

 

“It has already been 2 sessions with [BeMo] and I am seeing a big improvement in my confidence, soft skills, and the way I approach different practice questions.” – Ahmed, BeMo student


#4 Improve Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Skills

Many of us are unaware of certain flaws in our communication skills. For example, you may pause for too long between sentences or say “umm” between words. Or you may look away every time someone asks you a question. Or you may fidget with your hair while you answer. All these verbal and non-verbal communication flaws can damage the impression you make during the MMI.

BeMo student Allison, who matriculated to Dell Medical School found that analyzing her mock interviews revealed non-verbal cues she was making without even knowing:

“I realized I like touch my face a lot and I like play with my hair and all of those other super distracting things that were taking away from the words I was actually saying. And I would never have known that I did those things if I didn't number one, record myself and number two, work with my [MMI] expert during those mock interviews and I think that … really contributed to the success I had during my interview cycle.” – Allison, BeMo student, current student at Dell Medical School

 

Beyond teaching you how to articulate your answers clearly and concisely, MMI interview prep courses will also help you develop professional and mature behaviors. For example, you will be able to work on your introductions and goodbyes, learn what appearance and attire are appropriate, learn to recognize non-verbal social cues and proper body language, and more.

#5 Practice Stress Management Tactics

You must learn how to keep signs of anxiety under control before your interview, but this skill is certainly useful beyond the MMI. There are short-term and long-term stress management strategies. Short-term strategies may include breathing exercises and positive thinking. But an MMI prep course should teach you how to incorporate long-term stress management into your everyday routine by, for example, implementing a healthy lifestyle that includes nutritious meals, good rest, and exercise. An instructor can really make this a part of your homework!

Dr. Tony Huynh, DO, a BeMo admissions expert, says stress management techniques can be extremely helpful at calming interview-day nerves, just before you walk into the interview room.

“I am a big proponent of using relaxation techniques and routine to calm oneself down prior to the actual MMI interview day. Overpreparation and stress can cause pressured speech and anxiety during the interview day. By sticking to your routing and using whatever relaxation technique works for you (breathing exercise, meditation, etc.), you are calmer and can approach the session more clear-headed.” – Dr. Tony Huynh, DO, TUN-COM

Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, a grad from the University of Maryland Medical School and another of our BeMo experts, emphasizes the importance of shaking off any bad stations and staying positive between each MMI station.

“Take a deep breath! MMI days go by very quickly and feels like you’ve been put through a car wash. Focus on each station individually and totally clear your mind in the seconds you have between stations. If you feel like you bombed a station, you have to be quick to move forward and not let it affect the rest of your performance. One station won’t break you, but an excellent station can make you! Before each question, you should go back to your interview prep and remember what is your main goal and main character trait that you want to convey to the interviewer. Using this frame of mind, you’ll be more able to focus on each separate task and avoid repetition.” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine


What the Best MMI Interview Prep Course Should Have

Not every MMI interview prep course you find online is of good quality. Before you sign up for an MMI interview prep course, you must learn what a good course should entail. Along with having objective online reviews and a good reputation, the course should entail specific elements that make it worth your time, money, and effort. You need to choose a course that will immerse you in the atmosphere of this unique interview format. It should hone your behavioral and professional skills, as we’ve outlined above. Additionally, a prep course should help you work on more than MMI practice questions and answers.

A good interview prep course will explain the “why?” behind every aspect of the interview. Whether it involves the format or the answer strategy you must implement, a good instructor will take time to provide you with explanations for what you are doing and why. And of course, a good course will help you ace the interview and get into the medical schools of your choice.

Enrolling in a course is a serious commitment, so make sure the prep course includes the following:

#1 Explanation of the MMI Format

First and foremost, the medical school admission consulting or MMI interview tutor services you hire should know the MMI interview format like the back of their hand. Furthermore, they should be able to thoroughly explain the format and question types of the MMI to you. You must be aware of how the MMI is scored and, most importantly, how you will be evaluated at the different stations.

While the MMI is not a brand-new interview format, it is still intimidating for most students. Knowing what to anticipate at each station will be key to your success because you will know how to prepare and feel more confident as a result. Self-assuredness is an aspect of your performance MMI evaluators pay attention to as you interact with them.

A good prep course will also explain the rationale behind the MMI. While this interview format can incorporate a wide variety of traditional interview questions, such as “tell me about yourself,” it is primarily used to assess skills that traditional interviews cannot always address.

For example, in MMI acting stations, you may face a scenario with a violent and disgruntled man who is hysterical and verbally attacks you with profanity (an actor, of course). In a traditional interview, if you are simply asked about your reaction to such a situation, you will likely have time to articulate an answer that says that you are a composed and compassionate person. But an acting station tests your reaction first-hand. You are forced into uncomfortable situations to allow the interviewer(s) to assess your realistic reaction and behavior.

Fortunately, mock MMI interviews can be applied to all MMI question formats! BeMo admissions expert Dr. Tony Huynh, DO, says practicing MMI acting stations can teach you vital conflict management skills:

“I practiced MMI sessions with friends when I was preparing before medical school. I think that having actors use vigor and emotionally charged language in the [mock] interview was great prep and allowed me to practice de-escalation and phrasing of my answer in tough situations.” – Dr. Tony Huynh, DO, Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine

 

Watch this video to learn how an MMI prep course can boost your interview performance!

#2 Explanation of How You Are Evaluated and Scored in an MMI

Another important piece of information the MMI interview prep course should share with you is how you are evaluated in the real interview. What are interviewers looking for in your answers? First, you are evaluated based on the strength of your argument and decision making. Second, your suitability for your chosen profession is assessed. How is this done? Most MMI question types do not have univocal answers. For example, ethical questions in a medical school interview do not have one simple answer. Instead of assessing whether your conclusions are right or wrong, or match the answer the interviewer expects, they assess your decision-making process based on whether you utilized sound reasoning and logical steps. The conclusion you come to must also demonstrate good judgment and maturity.

And lastly, but importantly, the MMI interview prep course should explain that you are not evaluated in a vacuum. An MMI coach can explain the evaluation criteria for multiple mini interviews and work with you to understand what is the difference between a “good” score and what is an “excellent” score, like BeMo student Rai’s MMI expert did for her:

“[My BeMo consultant] actually gave me an MMI score out of 7 for each station (my actual MMI will also be evaluated [out of] 7 by the evaluators) -- so this really helps me gain an objective measure of where I stand currently and what can I do to change my score to increase per station!” – Rai, BeMo student

 

In an MMI, you are evaluated in relation to other interviewees. This is very important. Your answers, arguments, decision-making processes, communication skills, and more will be compared to your peers also participating in the MMI. Basically, you are participating in a mild competition. What does this mean for you? It means that you must do everything in your power to demonstrate good judgment, maturity, and suitability for your profession. This does not mean undermining your peers in a collaborative station – no! On the contrary, you must demonstrate professionalism, collaboration, and good intrapersonal skills.



#3 Realistic Mock MMI Interviews

A good prep course must include mock MMI sessions that mimic the environment and format of the interview. This is one of the most important aspects of interview prep. The format of MMIs is unique, and you cannot prepare for it by just reading articles. Theoretical knowledge of the format will not help on the day of the real interview when answering the hardest MMI questions. Not only should you practice in a realistic, timed environment, but you should learn how to act “within” the station, whether it’s virtual or in person. This is where professional prep courses or an MMI interview tutor can excel, by providing you with expert feedback. BeMo student Nikolas says his mock interview and feedback sessions were the most effective preparation for him:

“[My mock MMI session] was highly constructive as well as instructive. [My consultant] commended the progress I've made thus far while also honing in on certain key details that would have enhanced my responses. Overall, these were very productive sessions that substantially contributed to my preparedness for my upcoming MMI.” – Nikolas, BeMo student

 

You must learn how to be very organized and succinct when answering questions, and only realistic simulations can help you gauge the time pressure you will feel, and how you are evaluated in a real MMI station. A simulation will help you manage expectations and prepare for stations properly. How long do you have to read and reflect on the prompt? When you enter the room, how long do you have to answer the question? What do you do if you answered the question before the time in the station runs out? How do you leave the station? Only a realistic mock can help you practice what to do in these situations.

Mock medical school interviews allow you to practice behaviors that you may not be able to exercise in other situations. They put you in conditions that you will encounter in a real MMI and help you hone behaviors that may otherwise be unusual for you, whether it’s acting, composing a short essay in MMI writing station examples, giving instructions, and more. This is why MMI mocks are essential for your interview prep!

#4 Personalized Feedback

Every student is unique and requires a personalized approach to getting ready for every step of the admissions process. Whether it’s CASPer test prep, MCAT prep, or medical school personal statement editing, each student has their own strengths and weaknesses that must be encouraged or eliminated. This is why interview prep must include a personalized approach and feedback. And this relates to every aspect of interview prep. Candace, who went through MMI prep with BeMo, shared how a personalized experience that mimicked her real interview conditions, made a difference.

“I had trouble with ‘umming’ while thinking and [my BeMo consultant] suggested some strategies and resources. I didn't even know I could address that, but I'm willing to try it out to improve the quality of my answers. My MMI interview [was] asynchronous and we successfully simulated that experience in [our] session … [the consultant’s] feedback was very specific to my case and I appreciate the extra time she spent with me. She answered my questions after our feedback session and gave additional tips and strategies and other potential questions … I don't feel as stressed out as I did before my BeMo sessions.” – Candace, BeMo student

 

You may ask “How long to prepare for a medical school interview?” or “How long does it take to prepare for an MMI?”, and the answer will be different for every student. Some will be ready within a couple of weeks, while others may require a month. Or you may be wondering “What are the most difficult types of MMI questions?”– well, that depends on your strengths and weaknesses, which a prep course instructor will assess via your mocks and expert analysis. Some students thrive in acting stations, while others must overcome an inner shyness via practice. Others may love answering policy interview questions because they are highly aware of the political and social aspects of their profession, while other students may need to do additional research to be comfortable with this question type.

MMI interview prep courses must help you identify what is the best prep strategy for you! Based on your strengths and weaknesses, a medical school advisor must customize your interview prep plan and address your needs. If a prep course does not do this, it will not be effective.

#5 Takeaways and Homework

Homework will help you digest the lessons you learn from the prep course. Most courses will require you to practice with sample medical school interview questions, nursing school interview questions or PA school interview questions, depending on your program, to apply the strategies you learn in the course. You will also most likely be asked to review the question set you went through in your interview mock to help you identify what you need to work on, like our premed student Khan did to keep improving his skills:

“I just finished my third session … in preparation for my medical school MMI interview. Not only were the questions fair and building upon the feedback of our previous session but [my MMI expert] took the extra time to answer my lingering questions, soothe my anxieties, and give me homework to address my nuanced weaknesses. – Khan, BeMo student

 

 Additionally, homework may involve independent study on your part. For example, an instructor may ask you to read a certain book or research the latest news pertaining to your chosen profession. You may also be advised to practice tongue twisters to develop articulation.

Make sure to do your homework, since this is all part of your interview prep and skill-building. If you do not put 100% of effort into interview prep, nobody can help you improve.

Want more tips to ace your MMI? Watch this video:

Conclusion: Do You Need an MMI Interview Prep Course?

The benefits we have outlined above demonstrate that a quality multiple mini interview prep course is not just a class you will take once and forget about after your interview is over. A good MMI prep course will help you develop skills that will last you a lifetime. A quality prep course will instill useful knowledge and behaviors, and teach you how to maintain them as time goes by. A prep course is about becoming habituated to specific communication skills and professional behavior, not just for the period of your interview prep and interview day, but as enduring skills and habits that ultimately become part of your character – so do think of the prep course as an investment in your own professional and personal development.

This does not mean that every single person needs an MMI interview prep course. The information we include above is meant to help you assess whether you need one. If you think that a prep course may be beneficial to you, research your options and talk to prep companies to find out how they can help you specifically. A good interview prep course will offer a free initial consultation so that you can assess the service for yourself before making a decision. An MMI prep course is an investment, so do your due diligence when picking the right one for you.

FAQs

1. What is an MMI interview prep course?

MMI prep courses are designed to prepare you for the MMI interview format and develop the confidence to tackle any MMI question you may encounter.

2. What’s the best MMI prep course?

The best kind of MMI prep courses should include mock interviews in a realistic setting and personalized feedback. Only this can help you truly improve.

3. What skills can I learn in an MMI prep course?

MMI prep courses will help you develop communication skills, time management skills, organizational skills, good study habits, healthy lifestyle habits, and more.

4. Do I need to prepare for MMI mocks?

You do need to prepare. Consider every one of your MMI mocks as real interviews. This means that you should dress appropriately and set up your computer in a quiet environment with a neutral background. Additionally, your MMI interview prep course will teach you different answer strategies and behaviors and you must practice them on your own in between mocks. This will really help you solidify the strategies and behaviors.

5. If I had to choose only one tactic, what would be the best MMI prep strategy?

The best MMI prep strategy is mock interviews and personalized feedback.

6. Who should be my instructors for an MMI prep course?

Your MMI instructors must know the MMI interview format well and be able to explain to you the expectations. Ideally, they should have years of conducting MMI mocks and know the admissions process inside out.

7. What else can I do to prepare for the MMI?

You can definitely help your prep by practicing with sample questions. Once you know answer structures for each question type, practice applying them on your own.

Additionally, you can help yourself by exercising and keeping to a healthy diet. Don’t forget to relax and take some days off. Enjoy a walk or hang out with family.

8. How long should an MMI interview prep course be?

The interview prep course should be able to customize the prep plan based on your progress. Some students may be ready after a couple of mocks, while others may need 5-6 mocks before they are ready for their interview. As long as you give your 100% and adhere to your instructor's advice, you should be ready for your interview in a reasonable amount of time.

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting 


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1 Comments

Susan Baker

Do you offer the prep course for MMI @ NOSM

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BeMo Academic Consulting

Hi Susan! Thanks for your question! We can help you prepare for your MMI online, so please reach out to us for a free strategy call to set it up with us!

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