300 MMI Questions and Expert Answers

MMI Questions: Scenario

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MMI Question #1

A 14-year-old patient requests birth control pills from you and asks that you not tell her parents. What would you do?

MMI Question # 2

A member of your family decides to depend solely on alternative medicine for the treatment of his or her significant illness. What would you do?

MMI Question #3

If you have the choice of giving a transplant to a successful elderly member of the community and a 20-year-old drug addict – how do you choose?

MMI Question #4

An 18-year-old woman arrives in the emergency room with a profound nosebleed. You are the physician, and you have stopped the bleeding. She is now in a coma from blood loss and will die without a transfusion. A nurse finds a recent signed card from Jehovah's Witnesses Church in the patient's purse refusing blood transfusions under any circumstance. What would you do?

MMI Question #5

Your mother calls you and asks you to help with a major family decision. Your maternal grandfather is 70 years old and has been diagnosed with a condition that will kill him some time in the next five years. He can have a procedure that will correct the disease and not leave him with any long-term problems, but the procedure has a 10% mortality rate. He wants to have the procedure, but your mother does not want him to. How would you help mediate this issue?

MMI Question #6

You are a genetic counselor. One of your clients, Linda, had a boy with a genetic defect that may have a high recurrence risk, meaning her subsequent pregnancies has a high chance of being affected by the same defect. You offered genetic testing of Linda, her husband, and their son to find out more about their disease, to which everyone agreed. The result showed that neither Linda nor her husband carry the mutation, while the boy inherited the mutation on a paternal chromosome that did not come from Linda's husband. In other words, the boy's biological father is someone else, who is unaware that he carries the mutation. You suspect that Linda nor her husband are aware of this non-paternity. How would you disclose the results of this genetic analysis to Linda and her family? What principles and who do you have to take into consideration in this case?

MMI Question #7

A woman enters the emergency room with stomach pain. She undergoes a CT scan and is diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The physicians inform her that the only way to fix the problem is surgically, and that the chances of survival are about 50/50. They also inform her that time is of the essence, and that should the aneurysm burst, she would be dead in a few short minutes. The woman is an exotic dancer; she worries that the surgery will leave a scar that will negatively affect her work; therefore, she refuses any surgical treatment. Even after much pressuring from the physicians, she adamantly refuses surgery. Feeling that the woman is not in her correct state of mind and knowing that time is of the essence, the surgeons decide to perform the procedure without consent. They anesthetize her and surgically repair the aneurysm. She survives and sues the hospital for millions of dollars. Do you believe that the physician's actions can be justified in any way? Is it ever right to take away someone's autonomy?

MMI Question #8

You are a general practitioner, and a mother comes into your office with her child who is complaining of flu-like symptoms. Upon entering the room, you ask the boy to remove his shirt, and you notice a pattern of bruises on the boy's torso. You ask the mother where the bruises came from, and she tells you that they are from a procedure she performed on him known as "cao gio," which is also known as "coining." The procedure involves rubbing warm oils or gels on a person's skin with a coin or other flat metal object. The mother explains that cao gio is used to raise out bad blood and improve circulation and healing. When you touch the boy's back with your stethoscope, he winces in pain from the bruises. You debate whether you should call Child Protective Services and report the mother. When should a physician step in to stop a cultural practice? Should the physician be concerned about alienating the mother and other people of her ethnicity from modern medicine?

MMI Question #9

A patient with Down Syndrome became pregnant. The patient does not want an abortion. Her mother and husband want the patient to have an abortion. What should a physician do in this situation?

MMI Question #10

A 12-year-old boy is diagnosed with a terminal illness (e.g., malignancy). He asked the doctor about his prognosis. His parents requested the doctor not to tell him the bad news. What should the doctor do in this situation?

MMI Question #11

A couple has decided to have a child through artificial insemination. They asked the physician for sex selection of the child. What should a physician advise in this situation?

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MMI Question #12

A physician became sexually involved with a current patient who initiated or consented to the contact. Is it ethical for a physician to become sexually involved?

MMI Question #13

A physician went on vacation for 2 weeks. He did not find another physician to cover him. One of his patients with hypertension developed severe headaches. The patient has an appointment with the doctor as soon as he comes back from vacation. The patient did not look for another physician and decided to wait. The patient suddenly collapses and was diagnosed to have intracranial hemorrhage. Is the physician responsible for this patient?

MMI Question #14

A 40-year-old schizophrenic patient needs hernia repair. The surgeon discussed the procedure with the patient who understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent?

MMI Question #15

A physician picked up a car accident victim from the street and brought him to the ER in his car. He did not want to wait for an ambulance because the patient’s condition was critical. Physical examination in the ER reveals quadriplegia. Is the physician liable for this consequence?

MMI Question #16

As a physician at a local hospital, you notice that there is a man with an alcohol dependency who keeps on consuming the hand sanitizer offered at the hand sanitizer stands throughout the hospital. He is not a patient at the hospital at present but has been many times in the past. Consequently, there is often no hand sanitizer for public use. What do you do? Do you remove/change the location of the hand sanitizer stands? Do you approach him?

MMI Question #17

An 18-year-old man is diagnosed to have suspected bacterial meningitis. He refuses therapy and returns to the college dormitory. What should a physician do in this situation?

MMI Question #18 

There is an outbreak of an incredibly contagious life-threatening disease. The disease is spreading across the country at a rapid rate and the survival rate is less than 50%. You are a senior health care administrator, and when the vaccine is developed, you have priority to receive the drug. Do you take the vaccine yourself or give it to another person? Why or why not?

MMI Question #19

You are a health researcher at an academic institution. You have been asked to work on a top-secret vaccine that would treat biomedical weapons or other communicable diseases. Before your breakthrough, you are instructed by the government to stop all research and turn over all materials and copies of your work to be destroyed. You know you are very close to finding a cure. What do you do?

MMI Question #20

A patient requests needles and syringes at his/her local pharmacy. They do not present with a prescription and based on the records you can access, they are not receiving treatment for diabetes. Do you sell the syringes or not?

MMI Question #21

Dr. Blair recommends homeopathic medicines to his patients. There is no scientific evidence or widely accepted theory to suggest that homeopathic medicines work, and Dr. Blair doesn't believe them to. He recommends homeopathic medicine to people with mild and non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and muscle aches because he believes that it will do no harm, but will give them reassurance. Consider the ethical problems that Dr. Blair’s behavior might pose. Discuss.

MMI Question #22

You are an emergency room physician at a local hospital. A patient comes in requesting painkillers for his back. Upon reviewing his file, you realize that he frequently comes to the hospital requesting painkillers and he has already capped his prescription for the month. Upon examination, you notice no new injuries to indicate an increase in painkillers. You politely tell the patient that you will not increase his dosage or re-fill out another prescription for him. He tells you that he will go and inject himself with heroin right now if he does not get the painkillers. What do you say next? What do you do?

MMI Question #23

As a physiotherapist, you are referred a 16-year-old for treatment of severe burns that limit function on the patient's arms and hands. Upon examination, you notice other burn marks and unexplained bruises on the patient. After working with the patient for a few weeks, you ask about the other marks on the patient's body. The patient admits to being abused by their parents but begs you not to tell anyone. What do you do?

MMI Question #24

As an occupational therapist, you work with clients of all ages. One of your younger clients begins searching you on the Internet and contacts you through social media sites. In this age, it is common for people to have many various personal and professional web profiles through sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc. What measures would you take if this happened? What would you do if the client would not stop?

MMI Question #25

You are an occupational therapist that works with a population with complex psychiatric histories. One of your older clients has been recently diagnosed with neurodegenerative disease, and she has schizophrenia. There is a history of the client’s children neglecting her needs and taking advantage of the client financially. Nevertheless, the client has a relationship with her family and they want to be named the primary decision maker for the client. How do you work with the client and her family knowing the past history of neglect and the present needs of your client?

MMI Question #26

Your neighbor has a five-year-old child who has many decayed teeth. The mother asks you for advice because she knows you volunteer for a dental professional and her child is in pain. The mother needs a dentist who will accept monthly payment for treatment. You provide her with different options and coach her on how to seek dental care for a child. One week later you see the mother and ask if she was able to acquire care for the child. She says no. What do you do?

MMI Question #27

You are working alone in a convenience store as a cashier late at night. An older man comes in and buys a coffee. He is staggering, seems disoriented, and you smell alcohol on his breath. On the way out, he bumps into a shelf and knocks some cereal boxes off. He tries to put the boxes back, but cannot manage this task. What actions might you take in this situation? Provide reasons for your responses.

MMI Question #28

You are on holiday at a Mexican beach resort with some friends who are staying one floor down from you. In the middle of the night, a large earthquake takes place, and the building you are in is severely damaged. You have injured your leg, suspect it might be fractured, and you hear someone yelling for help nearby. What would you do?

MMI Question #29

You are a specialist who has just received lab results with regard to one of your patients. The results indicate that your patient, a single mother of two young boys, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and that she will only have 4-6 months to live. There are not many treatment options aside from a few experimental procedures that are still under study. There are some alternative treatments available in Europe; however, they have not been validated by scientific studies in North America. What would you say to your patient once they are in the office? If an alternative treatment, without scientific evidence for its efficacy, existed for a terminal illness would you recommend it to a patient?

MMI Question #30

You are the father of a 12-year-old boy. Your son’s friend, who is also your neighbor, is playing with your son in the backyard. As you approach them to ask them about lunch, you notice some severe bruises on the friend’s arm and upper neck. You are worried about these obvious signs and decide to approach your neighbor (the young boy’s father). How would you approach this situation? What would you say to the father of the young boy? What are some potential concerns that you may have?

MMI Question #31

You enter the cafeteria at work. You sit down to eat with a group of male colleagues who are having a conversation about a female colleague of yours. The comments they make are not very professional and can be deemed rude and offensive. You feel very uncomfortable. What do you do? What do you say to your male colleagues? If this became a regular occurrence, even after you speak to your colleagues, what other steps would you take to resolve the situation?

MMI Question #32

Every week, your classmates gather at the local coffee house to review the lessons from that week. In the last month, everyone has been working on a major paper on Roman history, which accounts for 40% of the course grade. One of your classmates has copies of two of the papers that last years’ students wrote for the same course. Your classmate has e-mailed copies of the paper to you and the other people in the group. What would you do in this situation and explain why? Discuss what values and choices are relevant in this situation? What are the implications if you decide to read the paper from last year?

MMI Question #33

You are the emergency doctor on duty when two patients are rushed in within 7 seconds of each other and both desperately need a heart transplant. You only have one donor organ available. And both patients are a match, and both are equally medically fit for the operation. One patient is a 35-year-old single dad with 3 children, while the other is a 35-year-old single male, who’s an Olympic Gold medalist. Who would you give the heart to and why?

MMI Question #34

You are a research supervisor, and you notice that one of your graduate students has been sleeping in the lounge area within the research facility because your student is a recent international student she cannot afford to rent a place of her own with her student stipend. You are aware that the facilities' safety policies prohibit overnight stays. How do you approach the student about this?

MMI Question #35

You are the executive director of a law firm. You find out that your articling student has accidentally destroyed an important piece of evidence that would have cleared a wrongfully accused person. If you reveal this to the authorities, your student will not only lose her job but will face jail time for destroying court evidence. What will you do in this situation? What if you had information that the accused person is indeed guilty of other unrelated but more serious crimes for which you do not have any evidence that would hold up in the court?

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MMI Question #36

A friend of yours has a cat named Jingles. One day your friend calls you and tells you that Jingles is very ill and in need of a vet. Unfortunately, Jingles does not have insurance, and the cost of seeing a vet will be around $1500, which your friend has to pay out of pocket. She cannot afford the cost and asking you for help. What would you do and say in this situation?

MMI Question #37

A 15-year-old patient requests medical marijuana from you and asks that you not tell her parents. What would you do?

MMI Question #38

You are a surgeon, and you find out that your next patient, who needs a heart transplant, has been convicted of child abuse. What will you do in this situation?

MMI Question #39

You are an ER doctor, and your patient needs several expensive medical scans. Your patient does not want to get these scans because they do not have insurance to help offset the costs. What will you do in this situation?

MMI Question #40

Your patient, Sally, had a stroke and is now on life-support. Your patient’s best friend has been at her side for the past several days at the hospital and shares with you that it is Sally’s wish not to be kept alive by machines. Sally does not have a living will, or a written Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, but the friend is insistent. Please discuss how you will approach this situation with the interviewer.

MMI Question #41

You are a physician, and you have been treating a patient in the hospital for several days. You learn that the patient’s family has been complaining to your supervisor that they do not like your bedside manner, and they would like a different doctor. How would you handle this situation?

MMI Question #42

Your estranged cousin, who you have heard from your parents had fallen into “a bad crowd” ran away from home recently. This cousin contacts you, asking for money. What do you do?

MMI Question #43

One of your classmates has been posting to social media that they feel alone and misunderstood. Their most recent post shows them in hunting gear in front of a carcass, in which they say “Finally in control of my life again - I feel so alive!” What do you make of this situation, and what do you do, if anything?

MMI Question #44

You are a doctor working ER intake during a particularly busy shift. A man in very ragged clothing enters, smelling strongly of alcohol. He claims that his pain medication has run out and presents an empty pill bottle with the label scratched off. What do you do?

MMI Question #45

You are a third-year medical student doing a clinical rotation in surgery. The surgeon you are working with is abusive towards everyone, constantly yelling at patients for disobeying his orders, criticizing nurses for failing to "do things my way in my OR", and having unreasonable expectations of you then calling you an idiot who shouldn't be in med school. What would you do? Your rotation is coming to an end and your evaluation is in one week?

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MMI Question #46

An 80-year-old terminally ill man calls you up to tell you that he is going to take a lethal dose of painkillers. He has called you to tell you that you have been a great doctor and many thanks. How do you handle the situation?

MMI Question #47

What would you do if you were seeing a patient in the emergency room and he or she wants to leave against medical advice?

MMI Question #48

How would you react if a colleague wanted you to keep a medical error they made a secret from a patient?

MMI Question #49

You have two patients who have been admitted after a serious accident. Both require immediate attention in order to survive. One patient is 20 years old; the other is 60 years old. Which life would you save?

MMI Question #50

A 14-year-old gay and promiscuous male comes to you to be treated for an STD. During the conversation, he mentions that he has been tested for HIV several times and would like to be tested again to see if he is still uninfected. What would you do?

MMI Question #51

During a routine physical examination of a 10-year-old girl, you discover unmistakable evidence that she has been physically and sexually abused over a period of time. Both her parents are in the waiting room. What would you do?

MMI Question #52

How would you express your concern for a child who needs an amputation?

MMI Question #53

How would you tell a patient just diagnosed with cancer that he has only a few weeks to live?

MMI Question #54

Your best friend's 16-year-old daughter is adamant about getting a tattoo next week which is causing a lot of friction in her household. What advice would you give?

MMI Question #55

You are the shift supervisor at a fast-food restaurant. The owner of the franchise has called you over. He is very upset, as he has received three complaints in the last 30 minutes about the meat in the hamburgers being poorly cooked. There are two people (one male, one female, both 15 years old) who have been cooking the meat for the hamburgers for the past two hours. The culprit is the owner’s daughter. How would you handle this situation?

MMI Question #56

A friend of yours has hit her three-year-old after the child has had a temper tantrum. She becomes very emotionally distraught after doing so and swears it has never happened before. How do you respond to the situation?

MMI Question #57

A surgeon sees a patient who had a heart problem due to heavy drug abuse. He treats her and she comes back one week later with the same problem. He suspects she is abusing drugs again. Halfway through the treatment, she says she has to leave because of personal problems. The surgeon says, “If she comes back, I will not treat her.” What issues do you see with this situation?

MMI Question #58

Your best friend and partner are undergoing in vitro fertilization to have a baby. The technique allows for the selection of certain characteristics for the child by identifying them in the embryo before implantation. Your friend asks for advice on the characteristics they should select. How would you respond to your friend?

MMI Question #59

You are working with a man in a nursing home with a dementing illness who was asking to be vaccinated for the flu llike the rest of his peers. He’d been deemed incompetent and his wife, who is his executive decision-maker, tells us he does not want him to be vaccinated as she feels vaccinations are dangerous. Working with the geriatrician, what would you do?

MMI Question #60

You have just started working in a clinic where the office staff double-books aboriginal patients. You ask about their reasoning and the receptionist replies “These people never show up for their appointments.” How would you deal with this situation?

MMI Question #61

Your best friend has been skipping class or arriving to class late for the past two weeks and often smells of alcohol. You just ran into him on campus, what do you do?

MMI Question #62

The apartment next door is for rent. The previous tenants were nothing but trouble and have been evicted. Your landlord tells you about a new tenant he has found with more promising credentials. As he tells you about him, you realize that he is one of the drug addicts who was in treatment at a halfway house you volunteer at. You know that this person has a history of relapsing and may not have been completely honest on the application form. Do you warn your landlord about the person's history, or do you keep your knowledge confidential?

MMI Question #63

A YouTube video of a group of junior high-school boys verbally abusing bus monitor Karen Klein went viral in July. The abuse included taunts, profanity, physical ridicule, and even threats to Karen’s person and home, ultimately resulting in her breaking down and crying. The video prompted an investigation on the part of school officials and local police. The boys were suspended from school and given 50 hours of community service. Klein stated that she would not press charges, partly because of the flood of criticism aimed at the boys. Do you believe the boys’ punishments were just, or what could have been done differently?

A note on scenario MMI questions:

This is one of the toughest MMI question categories, which stumps students and makes them panic. But in the wise words of our expert Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD and a graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine:

"Probably the worst thing you can do is begin speaking without thinking. It is perfectly OK to take a moment to collect your thoughts and think about your answer thoroughly before beginning your response. Luckily, the MMI gives you the chance to reflect on the question and plan your answer - use it!" - Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine

This is all to say that the responses we give you below reflect the kind of answers you can start delivering if you have the right MMI practice and prep plan. Believe us when we say that our students, after working with us, are able to deliver answers of this quality and even better within the given MMI timeframe. All you need is proper prep, and you will be able to tackle any MMI question with ease.

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MMI Questions: Policy

MMI Question #64

Your local Paediatric Association has recommended that circumcisions 'not be routinely performed'. They base this recommendation on their determination that 'the benefits have not been shown to clearly outweigh the risks and costs'. Doctors have no obligation to refer for, or provide, a circumcision, but many do, even when they are clearly not medically necessary. BC Medicare no longer pays for unnecessary circumcisions. Consider the ethical problems that exist in this case. Discuss these issues with the interviewer.

MMI Question #65

A biotech company was hired by the Military to develop a cure for Ebola. They successfully developed a vaccine to treat the symptoms of the virus and lowered the mortality rate for infected patients. Discuss the implications of this on a global scale.

MMI Question #66

Is it ethical for doctors to strike? If so, under what conditions?

MMI Question #67

What is your opinion about stem cell research using fetal tissue?

MMI Question #68

How would you advise patients who are interested in visiting an acupuncturist or a chiropractor?

MMI Question #69

When is it appropriate to participate in the assisted suicide of a patient? Why or why not?

MMI Question #70

A Kootenay town runs a health-collective that provides various alternative and traditional forms of medicine. The physicians there encourage parents of small children not to vaccinate their children. Discuss the positive and negative impacts of this opinion.

MMI Question #71

“Liberation Therapy” (LT), a vascular operation developed to potentially cure multiple sclerosis (MS) in certain patients, has recently come under very serious criticism – delaying its widespread use. Among other experimental flaws, critics cite a small sample size in the original evidence used to support LT. As a healthcare policy maker, your job is to weigh the pros and cons in approving novel drugs and therapies. Please discuss the issues you would consider during an approval process for LT.

MMI Question #72

The nursing workload is a significant problem that needs to be addressed. Often nurses find they do not have adequate time to complete the tasks that are required of them in the time given each shift. How does this impact patient care? What are the implications for the nurses and the work culture and environment? What are the potential policy changes that can help alleviate some of this workload pressure?

MMI Question #73

In 2007 the Journal of Dental Education surveyed over 1000 dental students and found that 74.7% admitted to some form of cheating during their undergraduate career. The university has asked you to be part of a student focus group to determine how to reduce the incidence of cheating. You are well aware of this behavior as you have observed the reusing of old assignments on many occasions. What suggestions would you make to help reduce the incidence of cheating and improve the academic integrity of students?

MMI Question #74

Universities are commonly faced with the complicated task of balancing the educational needs of their students and the cost required to provide learning resources to a large number of individuals. As a result of this tension, there has been much debate regarding the optimal size of classes. One side argues that smaller classes provide a more educationally effective setting for students, while others argue that it makes no difference, so larger classes should be used to minimize the number of instructors required. Discuss your opinion on this issue with the examiner.

MMI Question #75

In 2007, the American Family Physician Journal published an article exploring the issue of physicians as role models, using a scenario in which an obese physician is offering nutrition and exercise counseling to his obese patient. According to the author’s research, patients have more confidence in health-counseling advice from non-obese versus obese physicians, and physicians with poor personal lifestyle habits are less likely to counsel patients about a healthy lifestyle. Based on these research findings do physicians have a responsibility to act as healthy role models to their patients? Please elaborate.

MMI Question #76

A proposed bill would require all individuals to vote in federal elections or face a $100 fine. What do you think about this bill?

MMI Question #77

You are the director of a financially struggling hospital. You have been unable to generate enough revenue to implement some very important initiatives at the hospital and are at risk of inevitable service cuts if more funding is not secured immediately. The only secure source of funds that is being offered is by a cigarette company. They are willing to provide your hospital with all the resources required in exchange for advertisement at your facility. What will you and should you do as the hospital director?

MMI Question #78

Some medical schools have a preference for selecting medical candidates from certain geographical locations. What are your views about such selection policies? Please discuss your answer with the interviewer inside the room.

MMI Question #79

You are a PhD student and your supervisor, Prof. Harry, has recently published the results of his publicly funded research project with the intention to commercialize his discovery. What are your views about university professors that use public funding to create for-profit solo ventures?

MMI Question #80

It is well known that big pharmaceutical companies along with their expansive lobby have a huge influence on the medical profession and its education. In your opinion what are the positives and negatives of having the pharmaceutical companies play a role, if any, within medical educational institutions? If you do not think that pharmaceutical companies should have any role within medical schools, what steps would you take to remove big interest groups such as Big Pharma out of the education system if given the opportunity?

MMI Question #81

As a healthcare policy maker, your job is to weigh the pros and cons of approving a new policy that would require companies to give employees paid parental leave. Please discuss the issues you would consider during the approval process.

MMI Question #82

In Sweden, daycare is tax-subsidized making public daycare available and affordable for all. No matter how many children you have, no matter how many hours they spend in daycare, and no matter what your income is, you never pay more than a fixed amount. Discuss your view on this policy with the interviewer.

MMI Question #83

The American Medical Association (AMA) describes medically futile treatments as those having “no reasonable chance of benefiting the patient.” Even when it is clear that continued medical interventions for a dying patient will be futile, it is not easy to stop a determined family from insisting that care for a patient be continued. In some states, futility laws authorize doctors to overrule the patient's family. Do you believe that a physician should have the authority to overrule a family’s wishes if treatment is medically futile? Discuss your opinion with the interviewer.

MMI Question #84

Doctors are encouraged to report elderly patients who might have impaired vision, as they could be a danger to other drivers and themselves. However, reporting this information can be seen as a breach of patient confidentiality. What is your view on this matter?

MMI Question #85

What is your stance on universal basic income?

MMI Question #86

Statistics have shown that the effects of advanced age such as changes in vision and response time may adversely affect elderly drivers' ability to drive safely. Many doctors discuss the issue of stopping driving with their older patients as a precaution for the safety of theirs as well as the public's. Do you think older drivers have to give up driving when they reach a certain age?

MMI Question #87

Do you think general practitioners have an obligation to report their patients' health status to a public health agency if their patients have active infectious diseases?

MMI Question #88

The government wants to track citizens across the country in order to maintain public safety in the face of a pandemic. How would you advise the government to do this?

MMI Question #89

Whick country has the best system of medicine? Why?

Want to learn more about MMI policy questions?

MMI Question #90

How would you fix the growing homeless problem?

MMI Question #91

How would you treat a patient who wants to die?

MMI Question #92

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Canada/US health care system?

MMI Question #93

What role do social determinants of health play in the practice of medicine?

MMI Question #94

What is your opinion about what we can do about the high cost of healthcare?

MMI Question #95

Do physicians have the right to deny care to patients on Medicaid?

MMI Question #96

What do you think should be done to control health care costs in this country?

MMI Question #97

What are your views on alternative medicine?

MMI Question #98

What are your views on mandatory vaccinations within the public school systems?

MMI Question #99

What are the top three issues currently facing the U.S. health care system?

MMI Question #100

In June 2011, the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup and riots broke out in Downtown Vancouver. Discuss the impact on the community and the range of health care professionals at St. Paul’s Hospital.

MMI Question #101

What is the difference between HMOs and PPOs?

MMI Question #102

A message that recently appeared on the Web warned readers of the dangers of aspartame (artificial sweetener – Nutrasweet, Equal) as a cause of an epidemic of multiple sclerosis (a progressive chronic disease of the nervous system) and systemic lupus (a multisystem auto-immune disease). The biological explanation provided was that, at body temperature, aspartame releases wood alcohol (methanol), which turns into formic acid, which is in the same class of drugs as cyanide and arsenic. Formic acid, they argued, causes metabolic acidosis. Clinically, aspartame poisoning was argued to be a cause of joint pain, numbness, cramps, vertigo, headaches, depression, anxiety, slurred speech, and blurred vision. The authors claimed that aspartame remains on the market because the food and drug industries have powerful lobbies in Congress. They quoted Dr. Russell Blaylock, who said, “The ingredients stimulate the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees." Critique this message, in terms of the strength of the arguments presented and their logical consistency. Your critique might include an indication of the issues that you would like to delve into further before assessing the validity of these claims.

MMI Question #103

In healthcare professions like dental care, you will be required to establish good working relationships with people from all walks of life. Talk about what you think will be your strengths and challenges in establishing these relationships with your future clients. Will you have more success or challenges in relation to: 

• Young versus old clients
• Clients from different cultures
• Clients at different levels of health

MMI Question #104

With increasing concerns about climate change, there is a growing demand for healthcare facilities to adopt sustainable practices. As the director of a large hospital, what policies or strategies would you implement to reduce the hospital’s environmental footprint while ensuring patient care remains unaffected?

MMI Question #105

A 17-year-old boy lives independently. He is married and has one child. He wants to participate in a medical research study. Does he need his parents’ permission?

MMI Question #106

The City of Vancouver has taken great measures to increase access to alternative forms of transportation (Canada Line, Hornby, and Dunsmuir Bike Lanes, Proposed Evergreen Line, and Burrard Street Bridge closures). Discuss the impacts (both positive and negative) of these decisions?

MMI Question #107

If the Prime Minister/President were to ask your advice on one change that could be applied to the healthcare system that would improve it enormously and have the greatest positive effect, how would you answer?

MMI Question #108

The man who lives next door to you often rides his bicycle in the company of his two young children but without a helmet. In fact, on several occasions, you have seen him riding with his helmet hanging by its straps from the handlebars. His young children sometimes wear a helmet, sometimes not. If the man fell off his bicycle and hurt his head in a way that would have been prevented if he had worn a helmet, would it be reasonable to ask him to contribute towards the treatment costs for his injury?

MMI Question #109

Due to a shortage of physicians in rural communities, some policy-makers have suggested that medical programs preferentially admit students who are willing to commit to a 2 or 3-year tenure in rural areas after graduation. Consider the broad implications of this policy for health care and the costs associated. Will this policy be effective?

MMI Question #110

Recently, certain hospitals have been charging patients $29/day for their hospital fee on top of the fees charged to MSP. What are the implications of this policy? Discuss both positive and negative impacts with the interviewer.

MMI Question #111

Do you think general practitioners have an obligation to report their patients' health status to a public health agency, if their patients have active infectious diseases?

MMI Question #112

Statistics have shown that effects of advanced age such as changes in vision and response time may adversely affect elderly drivers' ability to drive safely. As a matter of fact, many doctors discuss the issue of stopping driving with their older patients as a precaution for the safety of theirs as well as the public's. Do you think older drivers have to give up driving when they reach a certain age?

MMI Question #113

In recent years, there has been an increase in the popularity of full-contact sports, such as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and boxing. Should doctors have a role in regulating such sports?

MMI Question #114

Do you think medicine should be more about changing behavior to prevent disease or treating existing disease?

MMI Question #115

Discuss the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. How does this impact a physician’s present ability to write out a prescription for ‘medical marijuana’? Would legalization cost the health care system more or less after it was passed?

MMI Question #116

Imagine your friend’s father is 70 years old and has lived in major North American City his whole life. He is taken to the emergency department at the local General Hospital. He has had good health until now and this is the first time he has been to a hospital of any kind since he was 20 years old. What changes in the healthcare system and environment in the hospital do you think he would notice?

MMI Question #117

Discuss any topical health care issue that is unique to the region for Med School you are applying to?

MMI Question #118

Discuss one of these health care issues: human genome project, AIDS, abortion, the right to die, the cost of health care, and genetic engineering

MMI Question #119

How does the Canadian health care system compare to that of Britain’s system vs. the American system?

MMI Question #120

What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?

MMI Question #121

Recently, the Prime Minister suggested the idea of deterrent fees (a small charge, say $10, which everyone who initiates a visit to a health professional would have to pay at the first contact) as a way to control health care costs. The assumption is that this will deter people from visiting their doctor for unnecessary reasons. Consider the broad implications of this policy for health and health care costs.

MMI Question #122

In recent years, the spread of misinformation on social media platforms has significantly influenced public health decisions, contributing to vaccine hesitancy and resistance to public health measures. As a health policy advisor, what strategies or policies would you recommend to address the spread of health-related misinformation and ensure the public is better informed?

MMI Questions: Personal

MMI Question #123

What experiences have you had (and what insights have you gained from these experiences) that lead you to believe you would be a good physician? Discuss this question with the interviewer

MMI Question #124

Robert Collier stated: "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." Consider the quote you have just read. What does this quote mean to you in terms of how you live your life and how you will pursue your career?

MMI Question #125

Regardless of what we do in life, there will be times when we will come into disagreement with an authority figure or a superior. Describe a time when you came into conflict with an authority figure and how you dealt with it.

MMI Question #126

What is your favorite quote? Discuss the quote and what it means to you with the interviewer inside the room.

MMI Question #127

What do you do for hobbies and in your spare time?

MMI Question #128

Tell me about yourself.

MMI Question #129

Suppose you are given the chance to write your past self a letter. What would you tell yourself?

MMI Question #130

Describe a time when you decided to go against the guidance of a superior (eg: parent, teacher) What was the situation, and why did you make the choice that you did?

MMI Question #131

Tell me about your greatest regret. What was it, and what would you do differently?

MMI Question #132

What are your thoughts on the steadily increasing rates of obesity? Mention any policies that you may be aware of, and/or discuss potential ones that you can think of.

MMI Question #133

If you could instantly learn any skill to have proficiency as if you’ve had 5,000 hours of practice, what would it be and why?

MMI Question #134

What is the most important quality for a physician to have?

MMI Question #135

If you didn’t pursue medicine, what would you do?

MMI Question #136

What does ‘integrity’ mean to you?

MMI Question #137

What is the most negative thing about practicing medicine?

MMI Question #138

Tell me about a time you demonstrated adaptability.

MMI Question #139

What is the most important issue in healthcare to you right now?

MMI Question #140

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict.

MMI Question #141

What kind of medicine would you like to practice?

MMI Question #142

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

MMI Question #143

Describe how you achieve a good work-life balance; what steps do you take during stressful times?

MMI Question #144

How could you affect the health care system?

MMI Question #145

If you were to do anything differently in your preparation for medical school, what would that be?

MMI Question #146

Where do you plan to practice?

MMI Question #147

Describe an experience you have had in which you were misjudged. What were your responses?

MMI Question #148

Would you get out of your car to help a victim after observing an accident?

MMI Question #149

What causes your greatest frustrations in life?

MMI Question #150

Describe the most unusual event in your life.

MMI Question #151

Convince me that you can handle the workload in medical school.

MMI Question #152

Why do you want to be a doctor? What will be your specialty?

MMI Question #153

What are three characteristics you think a good doctor should possess?

MMI Question #154

Who is your role model?

MMI Question #155

Let us say that you are rejected for admission into all medical schools to which you have applied. What would be your second career option?

MMI Question #156

What do you believe your greatest challenge will be if you are accepted into this program?

MMI Question #157

Burnout is a very real possibility in the medical field. What strategies do you use to deal with your stress effectively and prevent this from happening?

MMI Question #158

How would your professors describe you?

MMI Question #159

When was the last time you showed sensitivity to the needs of others?

MMI Question #160

It has been said that the average intern has killed 1.5 patients. Would you be able to live with yourself and how would you handle this?

MMI Question #161

We use a PBL (problem-based learning) approach here. Describe to me how you have achieved independent learning goals in the past?

MMI Question #162

What is the most important responsibility a doctor has?

MMI Question #163

What makes you mad?

MMI Question #164

What is the last book you read?

MMI Question #165

How do you imagine the balance of research and clinical work in your future?

MMI Question #166

How would your friends describe you?

MMI Question #167

What do you do for fun?

MMI Question #168

What was the most stressful situation you ever faced? How did you handle it?

MMI Question #169

If you are not accepted, what will you do?

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MMI Questions: Acting Stations

MMI Question #170

You are a family physician. One of your patients, Mark, did not attend one of his classes and missed an important exam. He told you that his teacher would like a doctor's note explaining his absence from class; otherwise, he will receive zero, and all hell will break loose. He wants you to write a note for him, indicating that he was not feeling well enough to write the exam. Not able to find any physical symptoms, explain how you would deal with this. Enter the room and talk to Mark.

MMI Question #171

You are a 3rd-year medical student doing hospital rotations. A fellow medical student who is doing rounds with you often shows up to these sessions tired, messy, hungover, or even drunk. One day you found him in the lunchroom unaccompanied, so you decided to talk to him. Please enter the lunchroom.

MMI Question #172

Your friend Jason hasn't come to class for a few days. Being a hardworking pre-med student, he very seldom skips classes. You know that he is applying to medical school in the past several weeks. You called his house and he said you could visit him. You decided to pay him a visit after your classes. Enter the room and talk to Jason.

MMI Question #173

You are a cardiologist at a local hospital, who just finished a shift and has a tight run to your daughter's high school graduation ceremony. As you headed off to the door, Jennifer, a patient who knew you well, saw you from the waiting room and grabbed your attention. "Doctor! I have bad chest pain. Please stay for a bit. I'll feel much better if you were here." Enter the waiting room and talk to Jennifer.

MMI Question #174

You are a current undergraduate student. During the week of graduation, you attend a number of parties around the Lower Mainland with your best friend, Kelly. The last party is held at a campground in Squamish. The morning after the party, you receive a call from Kelly. She asks that you come over and talk. Kelly reveals that she left early and drove home despite drinking that night. Enter the room and talk to Kelly.

MMI Question #175

Your company needs both you and a co-worker (Sara, a colleague from another branch of the company, who is gripped by fear of flying since one of her friends narrowly escaped being at the World Trade Centre when it was destroyed) to attend a critical business meeting in San Diego. You have just arrived to drive Sara to the airport. Sara is in the room.

MMI Question #176

The parking garage at your place of work has assigned parking spots. On leaving your spot, you are observed by the garage attendant as you back into a neighboring car, a BMW, knocking out its left front headlight and denting the left front fender. The garage attendant gives you the name and office number of the owner of the neighboring car, telling you that he is calling ahead to the car owner, Tim. The garage attendant tells you that Tim is expecting your visit. Enter Tim’s office.

MMI Question #177

Your best friend, Jennifer, calls you to tell you that she has been rejected for the 3rd time from all medical schools that she had applied to during the previous application cycle. She invites you over to her house to have a chat about her future plans. Go inside the room and speak with Jennifer.

MMI Question #178

You are the team leader of a group assignment and two of your group mates inform you that one of the group members, Tim, has a very strong body odor and they are unwilling to take part in any further group meetings until Tim addresses this issue and takes care of his personal hygiene. Tim is waiting inside the room, go inside and discuss this issue with him.

MMI Question #179

You are the Dean of Admissions at a very competitive medical school. One day as you are leaving your office at the end of the day, you are approached by the mother of a student who was recently rejected from your school. The mother explains that her son has a 4.0 GPA, scored 98th percentile on the MCAT, and has numerous awards and many relevant accomplishments. She wants answers right now and she demands to see every applicant’s file. Go inside the room and talk to the parent.

MMI Question #180

You are a cardiologist at a local hospital, who just finished a shift and has a tight run to your son's high school graduation ceremony. As you headed off to the door, Jason, a patient who knew you well, saw you from the waiting room and grabbed your attention. "Doctor! I have bad chest pain. Please stay for a bit. I'll feel much better if you were here." Enter the waiting room and talk to Jason.

MMI Question #181

Acting Station: You are a teacher, and your student has cheated on his/her final exam. If he/she fails this exam he/she fails the class. Go into the room and confront him/her.

For the actor: You need to graduate so that you can get a better job for your family. Your father is an alcoholic and has left the family without any income. You are working two jobs and going to school and the only way you could pass this final exam was to cheat. You did not want to, but you did it because you felt you had no other option.

MMI Question #182

Acting Station: You are a gas station attendant, and someone asks to use the bathroom key. You suspect they might be up to something. Go into the room and talk to them

For the actor: You are addicted to heroin, and you are in the process of shooting up, be aggressive.

MMI Question #183

Acting Station: You are an attending, and you notice that a medical student has been having some trouble keeping up with their classmates on rounds. Today you asked them if they did a physical exam on one of the patients they were assigned and they said they did. You get the feeling that they did not actually do the work.

For the actor: You are an entitled medical student, you feel like this is below you. You hate coming in and doing rounds, your grades are good, but you don’t really enjoy touching or talking to patients. You did not do a physical exam, but you need to keep lying and try to talk your way out of it.

MMI Question #184

Acting Station: You are an employee at a retail store. A customer comes in and wants to return something that has clearly been well used. You aren’t even clear if that is something they bought at this store. Go into the room and talk to them.

For the actor: You are in need of money, you have lost your job, and you are a single parent with two kids at home. Money has gotten very tight, so you are trying to return something to a big box store. It has been used and you don’t have the original box, but you remember it was kind of expensive when you got it. That money sure could help make ends meet for your family this week.

MMI Question #185

Acting Station: You are a third-year medical student, and you have a patient who is a three-pack a day smoker. They do not believe smoking is bad for them. Your attending has given you the task of convincing them to cut back to only two packs a day. Go into the room and talk with them.

For the actor: You do not believe that smoking is bad for you. No amount of evidence can change your mind. You like to smoke, and you firmly believe that the media wants you to stop, but that there is no real science on it. You refuse to listen to reason. You are almost to the point where you also believe that the Earth could be flat as well.

Want to see how other students overcome the MMI hurdle? Check this out:

MMI Questions: Quirky

MMI Question #186

Your 5-year-old nephew asks you, "Why is the sky blue?” How would you answer him using a series of simple scientific experiments?

MMI Question #187

"Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel." - Socrates. What does this quote mean to you? Go inside the room and discuss your thoughts with the interviewer.

MMI Question #188

Please describe the object presented to you to the interviewer. The interviewer has never seen the image. Note you are only allowed to use your words to describe the image. (The image could be any abstract image that you may have never seen before)

MMI Question #189

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

MMI Question #190

“The first task of the doctor is political: the struggle against disease must begin with a war against bad government. Man will be totally and definitively cured only if he is first liberated...” What are your thoughts about this quote by Michel Foucault?

MMI Question #191

Lord Byron stated, “always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.” What does this quote mean to you in terms of how you will pursue your career in medicine?

MMI Question #192

Hippocrates stated, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Discuss what this quote means to you with the interviewer.

MMI Question #193

If you had to either fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck, which would you choose and why?

MMI Question #194

What is your favorite movie?

MMI Question #195

What is the best state of matter solid, liquid, or gas?

MMI Question #196

What genre of music is the best?

MMI Question #197

What is the one thing you would do if you were president?

MMI Question #198

What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?

MMI Question #199

You are granted any three wishes by a genie. What would your wishes be?

MMI Questions: Writing Station

MMI Question #200

In a class of 78 students, 41 are taking French, 22 are taking German. Of the students taking French or German, 9 are taking both courses. How many students are not enrolled in either course?

Here's some tips for MMI writing stations:

Why Is Practicing with MMI Questions Important?

I want to stress that for most students the MMI is by far the most difficult obstacle in the admissions process, no matter which profession they are pursuing. If you are struggling with this interview format, please do not feel alone. Hundreds of our students express great frustration and panic when it comes to these types of interviews. Our student Tanish shares her experience:

"I got waitlisted the first time I applied, as the program is very competitive. I had good stats and MCAT score, but my interview skills needed to be strengthened."

And Tanish is really not alone in this. The pressure students feel when it comes to performing well in an MMI is enormous. Sometimes, your whole future depends on how well your do in your MMI. Take the example of Megana Varma, our student who needed to outperform her competition in the interview at all costs to have a chance of getting accepted:

"My MCAT score and GPA were not as competitive as I needed them to be, so the interview was really important for me to practice and get right!"

You as a premed can probably sympathize with this do or die attitude. The interview is your last chance to make the right impression. In some schools, your MMI performance outweighs all other application components put together. This is a lot of pressure! Luckily, there are ways you can prepare and ensure that your ace your interview. Even in cases when you have very limited time to prepare, if you have the right approach, you can still ace the interview. Take the example of our student Johnathan Hawn, who got accepted after he received a last-minute interview invite!

"[Initially] I felt disappointed [because I did] not even receive an interview. I was interviewed super late. Getting in last minute was a miracle, honestly."

So, make sure to keep up with your MMI prep! This is what these MMI questions are for! As you could see in this article, I guide you through different MMI question types, share some of the toughest MMI questions so you can practice, and provide your with sample responses that my colleagues and I prepared to demonstrate the logic of how you can and should approach these difficult questions.

Some of the questions are from BeMo’s database of questions and some are from official universities and colleges that administer the MMI as part of their admissions process. I provide the list of all outside sources at the end of the blog. Please note that BeMo does not endorse nor affiliate with any of the mentioned universities and colleges. Each respective source is the copyright owner and the material is shared here under the fair use clause of Copyright Act.

100 More MMI Questions

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100 More MMI Sample Questions to practice with!

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BeMo MMI Prep Reviews

Want our help with your MMI prep? First check out some BeMo reviews from our happy students:

"Helen Martin was by far the most helpful advisor I have had! She took the time to give me detailed feedback, but what I really appreciated is that she made sure to emphasize what I had done well so I knew what to do again. She also gave me specific examples of what I could have included to make my answers better. Also, she recommended some additional reading that would help prepare me for my mock MMI. Thanks so much Helen!!" - BeMo student.

"I just had my second MMI mock session with Liz, and I couldn’t be happier! She is an incredible interviewer who creates such a positive and encouraging atmosphere during and after the session. Her feedback is detailed and insightful, and she shares so much valuable knowledge!" - Melika, BeMo student.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Disclaimer: Please note that our sample MMI responses are for guidance only, and alternative responses can be developed using our recommended strategies.

Sources:

UBC Center for Student Involvement and Careers

University of Alberta – School of Dentistry

University of Victoria – Co-operative Education Program and Career Services

Tuft University - An Admissions OSCE: the multiple mini-interview

University of Calgary

Wilfred Laurier University

Harvard University

Missouri State University

Central Michigan University

University of Ottawa

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