121 MMI Sample Questions (Plus, How To Answer)

Preparing for a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) isn’t like studying for a test or a traditional one-on-one interview. MMI involves multiple stations at which you, the interviewee, respond to various scenarios and ethical dilemmas within a given time limit.

This interview format assesses a medical student candidate’s communication skills, problem-solving abilities, ethical decision-making, and competencies in situations similar to what they might face while practicing medicine. 

Practicing with our sample MMI questions will allow you to test your thought processes and familiarize yourself with the wide range of topics that may come up on your interview day. 

Handling patient confidentiality issues, delivering bad news, or dealing with alternative medicine queries are just one challenge you may face as a doctor. An MMI interview can be an opportunity for your skills to shine through in how you address important issues as a doctor.

Acing your MMI lies in your ability to show empathy, maintain composure under pressure, and adapt with critical thinking.

Types of MMI Interview Questions

MMI questions are designed to evaluate a wide range of skills and competencies critical for a future medical professional. They’re often categorized into 3 main types: ethical scenarios (with or without acting), character development (with or without acting), and teamwork.

Understanding the types of MMI questions can significantly enhance your preparation and performance during the interview. Let’s take a look:

1. Ethical Scenarios

Questions in this category are designed to assess your understanding of medical ethics, decision-making process, and ability to navigate complex moral dilemmas. 

They often revolve around patient confidentiality, bodily autonomy, end-of-life decisions, alternative medicine, and public health issues. 

Your role in these scenarios may range from being a healthcare provider to a family member or an observer. One factor interviewers probe with these ethical questions is how you practice ethics in your life and relationships, not just how you might respond as a physician.

When faced with ethical scenarios, it is important to display care, ask relevant questions, remain calm, and showcase your ability to process and analyze the situation.

2. Character Development

These types of questions are closer to what you’d face in a traditional interview, but in the 8-minute format of the MMI format. They still aim to evaluate your self-awareness, resilience, empathy, and personal growth. 

Do some self-reflection and be prepared to offer answers that will give the interview an honest sense of who you are.

Does MMI ask personal questions? MMI does not ask intimate personal questions, but character development questions that will try to gain insight into your integrity, goals, and adaptability. They may also be introspective questions about your weaknesses and mistakes. 

3. Teamwork

The teamwork MMI questions are designed to assess your communication skills, leadership style, and ability to work effectively in a team.

You may be asked to work with another applicant, an actor, or an interviewer to complete a team-based activity or solve a problem collaboratively. 

Being able to talk to patients, give instructions to nurses and PAs, and collaborate with teams of doctors are all everyday tasks for a future physician in our healthcare system.

How To Correctly Answer MMI Questions

Unlike the MCAT test with answers you can study for, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to answering MMI questions. They can cover a wide range of topics and scenarios. 

MMI questions are not designed to trick you. Still, here are some tips to keep yourself calm and collected throughout the process.

1. How To Answer Ethical Scenario Questions

What makes a good MMI answer? A good MMI answer, especially to ethical scenario questions, demonstrates a clear thought process. It’s important to recognize the dilemma, discuss all perspectives, and propose a solution without favoring one side. 

Here’s a structure to follow:

1. Clarify the situation: Make sure you fully understand the question and context of the ethical dilemma you’ve been presented. Some questions will give you extra information to test your ability to focus on what matters. Identify the primary factors, and only address the secondary issues if you have time.
2. Identify the principles of bioethics: These principles include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Highlight which are in conflict in this scenario.
3. Discuss all perspectives: Show that you understand different viewpoints, including the patient’s, healthcare provider’s, and society’s or family’s (if applicable). If there is an actor, you may ask questions, if there is not, you should present both sides of assumptions you make out loud.
4. Propose a solution: While it may be difficult to find a perfect solution, propose a balanced one that seeks to uphold the key ethical principles identified.
5. Reflect: Briefly discuss why you came to your solution. Be clear and concise. 

As you are practicing your interview questions, take reflection a step further.  Ask yourself what you learned from this scenario, and how it might influence your practice as a healthcare professional.

If you found a particular scenario difficult during your MMI practice, make notes to review the topic at a later time. That way, when your interview comes, you have a refreshed perspective on topics that took you longer.

2. How To Answer Character Development Questions

Character development questions aim to assess your self-awareness, maturity, and ability to learn from experiences. Set time for MMI interview practice to refine your responses to character development questions. 

Mock interviews or engaging in self-reflection and storytelling exercises help, too. Consider these ways to get prepared for these questions:

1. Touch on your personal experiences. Avoid generic answers and, instead, provide specific anecdotes that highlight your personal growth and lessons learned from stressful situations. These stories should illustrate your ability to reflect, adapt, and demonstrate resilience.
2. Be authentic. Admissions committees are looking for sincere and honest responses that reveal your true character. Avoid answers that sound rehearsed or artificial. Instead, bring your genuine thoughts, emotions, and insights to the interview stations. This authenticity helps interviewers gain a better understanding of your personality and values.
3. Illustrate character traits. Instead of speaking in abstract terms, use your personal anecdotes to explicitly highlight the character traits or qualities you possess. Whether it’s resilience, empathy, leadership, or problem-solving skills, provide concrete examples that vividly demonstrate these attributes. This approach makes a connection with your character through real-life situations.

The character development questions will ask about topics that force you to talk about your weaknesses or errors you’ve made in the past. Remember to be honest, but also explain how you’re working on yourself or things you have learned to be better.

3. How To Answer Teamwork Questions

In teamwork scenarios, the focus is on your ability to work effectively with others. There are 2 MMI scenarios for teamwork questions: performing the task or giving instructions for a task. 

For instructing:

1. Empathize with the performer. You have information the other person does not, and your role is to transfer that information. Kindly rephrase or repeat yourself as needed. Being courteous to the other as you communicate will help you both from getting flustered.
2. Be clear and concise. Keep each step to one simple task at a time. Go at the performer’s pace, making sure they understand you and clarifying when needed. 
3. Ask for a verbal “thumbs-up.” Check-in before moving on to the next step so you are both on the same page. If they get stuck or lost, stay calm while you talk them through it. 
4. Don’t rush. The teamwork MMI stations are not testing your ability to build Legos, even if that is the task at hand. Teamwork is about your ability to collaborate, teach, learn, and communicate. It’s better to get each step correctly and not finish than to get done but accomplish the wrong result.

For performing:

1. Ask questions. You are allowed and encouraged to ask questions and follow-up questions to avoid getting stuck or confused. If you’re second-guessing an instruction, ask for clarification or a repeat. This is teamwork, and it will help you both succeed!
2. Verbalize your progress. Make sure your instructor knows that you understand their direction. Tell them what you are seeing, and ask if that seems correct. This shows that you are learning and proactive. 
3. Take your time. Getting anxious and stressed doesn’t help you or your fellow premed giving the instruction. It’s not a race to finish. If you sense your partner feeling the pressure, remind them to take a breath and not to worry because you’re both in it together as a team.

Acting vs. Non-Acting Questions

During the MMI interview, medical school applicants are given both acting and non-acting questions. 

Acting questions, also known as role-play scenarios, involve interaction with an actor in a given situation. 

For instance, you may be asked to communicate bad news to a patient or to resolve a conflict between colleagues. You don’t answer with, “I would tell the patient…” but instead act out the scenario, addressing the person as if they are the one in the fictional situation.

You’re evaluated based on your communication skills, empathy, professionalism, and the ability to navigate challenging interpersonal situations. During these scenarios, it’s essential to stay in character and take it seriously. You must respond appropriately to the actor’s cues.

We know it can feel awkward and silly to role-play, so practicing these situations with professors, friends, or family members can help take the edge off. On the day of your multiple mini interview, avoid laughing or “breaking character” whenever possible.

Non-acting questions revolve around discussing an ethical scenario, reflecting on personal experiences, or addressing broader healthcare issues. These questions assess your general knowledge about the healthcare system and ability to articulate your thoughts clearly. 

When answering non-acting questions, it’s crucial to demonstrate your thought process and reasoning behind your opinions or decisions.

As an interviewee, you are likely to encounter a mix of both acting and non-acting stations in an MMI format. Regular interview prep with a variety of MMI scenarios can help you become comfortable with both acting and non-acting questions and ensure you make a strong impression on your interview day. 

Learn more about how we help you prep for your medical school interview so you stand out as the best applicant. 

MMI Sample Questions: Ethical Scenarios

The MMI questions are vast and always changing. They can be about current events or issues that doctors have been dealing with for years.

We’ve put together a list of multiple mini interview sample questions to help you prepare. 

Bodily Autonomy, Sex, Contraception, and Pregnancy

1. Role-play: A couple has approached you for advice about their pregnancy. They’ve been told their baby is likely to be born with a severe disability, and they’re considering terminating the pregnancy. Engage in a conversation with the couple about their options.
2. Role-play: You are the physician of a patient who has decided to stop taking her birth control without informing her partner because she wants to get pregnant. Talk to your patient about her decision and its potential consequences.
3. Role-play: Your best friend and his wife share with you that they want to use preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) during in-vitro fertilization to ensure they have a child of a certain sex. They’ve been told this might be considered unethical by some people. How do you discuss the ethical considerations involved?
4. Role-play: You’re treating a patient who has just found out she is pregnant. She tells you that she has been using a medication contraindicated in pregnancy and is concerned about the potential effects on the fetus. Discuss her concerns and potential next steps.
5. Role-play: Your mother is pregnant in her late forties. She is refusing amniocentesis due to its increased risk of miscarriage, despite the increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities in her child. Speak to her about her decision.
6. Non-acting: As a physician, a 16-year-old patient confides in you that she’s pregnant and wants an abortion. However, she is adamant about her parents not knowing. How would you handle this situation?
7. Non-acting: Your cousin is pregnant but refuses recommended prenatal testing due to their personal beliefs. You are aware that this is a high-risk pregnancy. How would you navigate this scenario?
8. Non-acting: A 15-year-old patient comes to you seeking advice about birth control options. You learn during your conversation that your patient may be regularly pressured into non-consensual sexual activity. How would you approach this situation as her physician?
9. Non-acting: Your female patient comes in the office for a routine gynecological exam, accompanied by her husband. When her partner steps into the hallway to take a call, your patient tells you that she wants to start birth control immediately and for you to tell her husband she is infertile. How do you respond?
10. Non-acting: As a physician, a pregnant patient comes to you wanting to pursue a vaginal birth after having had a C-section in her previous pregnancy (VBAC). The hospital policy strongly discourages VBAC due to associated risks. What do you do?

Patient Privacy

11. Role-play: You’re a doctor in a small community. One of your patients, the local elementary school teacher, is diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. She’s worried about losing her job and requests you to keep this confidential. Talk to her about how you can manage her privacy concerns while ensuring she gets effective treatment.
12. Role-play: Your classmate, a close friend, discloses to you that they are involved in illegal activities. They are worried about the legal consequences and health risks associated with their actions but request that you keep this information confidential. Engage in a conversation with the classmate, exploring potential next steps.
13. Role-play: You are the primary care physician of a married couple. The husband is diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, a genetic condition. He does not want his wife to know about it. Discuss this issue with the husband, considering the potential implications on both himself and his loved ones.
14. Role-play: You are a family physician and a patient confides in you about their struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. They implore you to keep the information confidential. Discuss with the patient the importance of sharing this information with appropriate mental health professionals and, potentially, their family.
15. Role-play: A mother brings her teenage daughter to you for an appointment and insists on being in the room during the consultation. The daughter appears uncomfortable with this arrangement. Engage in a conversation with the mother and the daughter about the situation.
16. Non-acting: One of the nurses who works in your unit has been diagnosed with a severe, potentially contagious disease. The patient’s spouse is a healthcare worker in the same hospital. The nurse insists that their spouse not be told about the diagnosis. What steps would you take in this situation?
17. Non-acting: As a physician, you have a teenage patient who reveals that they are using drugs. However, they are insistent that you do not tell their parents. How do you handle this ethical dilemma?
18. Non-acting: You discover through lab tests that one of your male patients has a sexually transmitted infection (STI). He requests that this information not be disclosed to his partner, who is also your patient. How would you handle this?
19. Non-acting: You are a physician in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. A patient confides in you that they have HIV but strongly requests you not to disclose this to anyone, including their spouse. How do you approach this situation?
20. Non-acting: You’re treating a celebrity who accidentally disclosed to you that they have a substance abuse issue. They insist on you keeping this information confidential. How would you navigate this complex situation as their physician?

Trauma & Abuse

21. Role-play: A 23-year-old female patient comes to you with frequent, unexplained injuries and appears anxious and fearful. You suspect intimate partner violence. Start a conversation with the patient, focusing on their safety and resources available to them.
22. Role-play: A young girl comes to your clinic and, during your conversation, discloses that she’s been physically abused by her parents. However, she begs you not to report it as she’s afraid of getting her parents into trouble. Begin a conversation with her.
23. Role-play: A teenage patient of yours admits to self-harming behaviors but pleads for you to keep it secret. Discuss with them your responsibilities as a doctor and the possible course of action.
24. Role-play: You’re working reception at the ER during your medical education. A young man comes to the hospital with a broken arm from a fight. During your intake, he discloses that his best friend convinced him to join a local gang and doesn’t see a way out. Begin a conversation with him about potential steps and resources.
25. Role-play: During a routine visit, a child discloses to you that they are being bullied in school but begs you not to tell their parents. Talk to the child about the situation.
26. Non-acting: You suspect that one of your older patients is being financially exploited by their adult children. The patient is mentally competent and insists on their children’s good intentions. What is your approach?
27. Non-acting: You are a surgeon on a hospital’s organ transplant team. Patient A seems to have a better chance at long-term surgical success. Patient B is 15 years younger than Patient A, but otherwise a far riskier candidate for transplant. You discover Patient A has been convicted of sexually abusing a child. What do you do in this situation?
28. Non-acting: You notice that your elderly neighbor shows signs of physical abuse when you visit to bring her a pie. Her caregiver, who is her son, insists she’s just clumsy. How would you handle this situation?
29. Non-acting: You are treating a child who you suspect might be a victim of neglect. The parents are defensive and dismiss your concerns immediately. What would your next steps be?
30. Non-acting: A coworker confides in you that they are being abused by their spouse. They insist that you don’t tell anyone, fearing how their partner might react if anyone found out. What do you do?

Public Health

31. Role-play: You’re working in a clinic and realize there’s been an outbreak of food poisoning cases related to a local restaurant. This restaurant, owned by a beloved community member, is barely staying open due to a local economic downturn. Talk to the restaurant owner about the situation.
32. Role-play: You’re a family doctor in a small town, and a local factory that employs a significant portion of the population has been shown to cause health issues due to its emissions. The factory management insists the emissions are within legal limits. As the town’s primary healthcare provider, speak to the factory manager about this situation.
33. Role-play: As a public health officer, you’ve discovered a serious lead contamination issue in the city’s water supply that’s been causing health problems for citizens. Record a video for social media, speaking to local citizens, to explain what is happening and what actions you take to mitigate the issue.
34. Non-acting: You are the chief medical officer in a city hit by a major natural disaster. The city’s resources are stretched thin, and the hospitals are overwhelmed. How would you prioritize and manage healthcare resources?
35. Non-acting: You notice an increase in lung cancer in young adults in your practice. After some investigation, you discover a common link: They all use a popular brand of e-cigarettes. What actions would you take?
36. Non-acting: Suppose your patient has active tuberculosis and is non-compliant with the treatment, putting the public at risk. How would you handle this situation?
37. Non-acting: There’s been a rise in opioid abuse in the community you serve as a primary care provider. What steps would you propose to address this public health crisis?
38. Non-acting: There has been an outbreak of a highly infectious disease in your community. Some of your patients refuse to adhere to quarantine rules. How do you address your concerns with them?

Medications & Treatments

39. Role-play: A patient with a history of drug addiction is experiencing severe pain after a surgery. They’re requesting a prescription for a strong painkiller. Walk into the room and discuss this request with your patient.
40. Role-play: Your best friend, who is taking a variety of prescribed medications, has started using herbal remedies suggested by a mutual friend. You’re concerned about potential interactions. Call them to discuss their decisions.
41. Role-play: You’re treating a patient with chronic pain who is seeking a prescription for pain medication. You’re concerned about the potential for addiction. Start a conversation with the patient explaining your concerns.
42. Role-play: A pharmaceutical company has invited you to be a paid speaker about one of their new drugs, which you’ve been prescribing. Answer the phone to respond to the pharmaceutical rep about whether or not you will accept.
43. Non-acting: An elderly patient with mild dementia refuses to take her medication, insisting that she doesn’t need it. You’ve been treating her for over 10 years and have personally observed her developing cognitive issues. How would you convince her to follow the treatment plan?
44. Non-acting: A child’s parents refuse a life-saving blood transfusion for their child due to their religious beliefs. They tell you their child will not be able to get to heaven if he receives a blood transfusion. How do you handle this situation?
45. Non-acting: A patient comes to you asking for a specific medication they saw advertised on TV. You believe there’s a better option based on their personal medical history and other prescriptions. How do you navigate this conversation?
46. Non-acting: You’ve prescribed a medication to a patient. Later, you find out that the patient experienced severe side effects due to a rare drug interaction that you weren’t aware of. How do you handle this situation the next time you see this patient?
47. Non-acting: Your patient has been diagnosed with a condition that requires expensive medication, for which there is no less expensive option with similar efficacy. They confide in you that they can’t afford the treatment. What do you do?

Transplants

48. Role-play: A family has approached you to discuss the possibility of using a controversial and unproven stem cell treatment for their child in place of a traditional organ transplant. Discuss this treatment option with them.
49. Role-play: You’ve been treating a patient for many years who needs a kidney transplant. You’re a match. During a routine appointment, the patient jokingly suggests that you should be the donor. Talk to the patient, beginning immediately after he allows his joke to linger in the air.
50. Role-play: You’re dealing with a family whose loved one is braindead, and they are struggling with the decision to donate their loved one’s organs. Walk into the family waiting room and talk to the eldest child, who has been the “leader” of the family during medical decisions in this case.
51. Role-play: You have a 30-year-old patient who has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant for some time. Their condition is worsening, and without a transplant, they will soon be in such poor health they will no longer be a transplant candidate. Explain the situation to your patient.
52. Role-play: Your father is on the kidney transplant list and has just been informed that a match has been found. However, the organ is from a prisoner on death row. Your father and siblings are all uncomfortable with this. Talk to your family about this dilemma.
53. Non-acting: You discover that one of your patients illegally bought a kidney and wants you to perform the transplant surgery. How do you respond?
54. Non-acting: A wealthy patient, who also happens to be a close family friend, offers to make a substantial donation to your hospital if they can move up on the transplant list. What do you say?
55. Non-acting: A patient’s body is rejecting a transplanted organ, and they need another transplant. However, the chance of success is very low and the hospital’s transplant team has chosen to move them down on the transplant list. How do you speak to your patient?
56. Non-acting: You have two patients who need a liver transplant. One is a 45-year-old alcoholic who is unlikely to stop drinking, and the other is a 12-year-old child suffering from a rare genetic liver disorder. Only one liver is available. How do you decide who gets the transplant?
57. Non-acting: A patient who requires a lung transplant is a smoker and shows no intention of quitting. How do you approach this situation?

Alternative Medicine

58. Role-play: A patient with a heart condition is interested in exploring Ayurvedic treatments and wants to discuss this with you before moving forward with conventional treatment. Discuss your patient’s desires and treatment options with them.
59. Role-play: Your mother has terminal cancer. She has decided to forego conventional treatment and opt for a naturopathic approach instead. Approach her while she’s watching a television show to discuss the situation.
60. Role-play: An elderly patient suffering from arthritis is resistant to conventional treatment and is considering acupuncture for the first time. Talk to the patient and her partner about this potential treatment option.
61. Role-play: Your patient is considering undergoing homeopathic treatment for their chronic autoimmune condition. They ask for your professional opinion in making an informed decision. Talk to them about the factors to consider.
62. Role-play: You’re treating a patient with chronic migraines after a car accident. They wish to incorporate yoga and meditation into their treatment plan in place of their current medication. Discuss this treatment plan with your patient.
63. Non-acting: A patient with anxiety and depression prefers to take St. John’s Wort instead of prescribed antidepressants. Their condition has recently become more serious, and you are concerned about the ramifications of the condition continuing to worsen. How do you manage this situation?
64. Non-acting: A patient believes strongly in the healing power of crystals and refuses to take prescribed antibiotics for a severe infection. How do you address this situation?
65. Non-acting: You have a diabetic patient who wants to replace insulin with a herbal supplement they found online. How do you navigate this conversation?
66. Non-acting: A patient with chronic pain prefers to use CBD oil rather than prescription medication due to the side effects of the latter. As a physician, how do you approach this?
67. Non-acting: A mother wants to treat her child’s ADHD with a strict diet and exercise regimen instead of medication. What is your response?

Religion

68. Role-play: A pregnant patient who is Jehovah’s Witness is at risk of hemorrhage during delivery, which might necessitate a blood transfusion. She has clearly stated that she will refuse this treatment due to her religious beliefs. Discuss the hemorrhage risk with your patient at what wil likely be your last appointment before her delivery.
69. Role-play: A family whose religious beliefs prohibit autopsy needs to be informed that their loved one’s cause of death is unclear and an autopsy could provide answers. Call the deceased patient’s spouse to talk about this dilemma.
70. Role-play: You are treating a patient who refuses potentially life-saving heart surgery on the basis of religious beliefs. Enter the room and talk to the patient.
71. Role-play: A Muslim patient requires medication during the fasting hours of Ramadan. Talk to them regarding the importance of taking the medication on time without violating their religious practice.
72. Role-play: A deeply religious friend of yours feels guilty about seeking psychiatric help because they believe they should be able to find all their comfort in their faith. Answer their phone call and talk to them about their hesitation.
73. Non-acting: You have a patient who believes in faith healing and wants to discontinue chemotherapy for their child’s cancer because “God will come through.” How would you handle this situation?
74. Non-acting: A family member of a critically ill patient requests a religious ritual that is unfamiliar to you and could interfere with medical treatments. How would you respond?
75. Non-acting: A patient refuses pain medication, citing religious beliefs that suffering purifies the soul. His pain interferes with his ability to sleep soundly. As a doctor, how would you manage this situation?
76. Non-acting: A family of a patient in a persistent vegetative state requests for all life-sustaining treatments to be continued indefinitely due to their religious beliefs, despite the prognosis being poor. How do you manage this?

Vaccines

77. Role-play: You are the doctor in a rural clinic, and there’s a limited supply of a new vaccine for a highly contagious disease. The demand is greater than the supply. Discuss your decision-making process of who gets the vaccine and who does not with the nurse who will help you deliver the news to each patient.
78. Role-play: You’re a doctor in a hospital, and one of your nurse colleagues is refusing to get the flu shot, arguing that they never get sick. Walk into the break room to talk to her about the situation.
79. Role-play: A patient comes to you stating they refuse to have their child vaccinated due to personal beliefs. They are asking you to sign a document excusing their child from school-required vaccinations. Start a conversation with the patient explaining the importance of vaccinations and the potential consequences of their decision.
80. Non-acting: A 16-year-old patient wants to get vaccinated against Covid-19, but their parents are anti-vaccine and strongly oppose this decision. How would you approach this conflict?
81. Non-acting: An influenza pandemic is spreading rapidly, and there’s a shortage of vaccines. How would you decide who should receive the vaccine first among your patients?
82. Non-acting: You are working in an area where there is a lot of misinformation about vaccines leading to high levels of vaccine hesitancy. What strategies would you employ to increase vaccine acceptance in this community?

Terminal Diseases & End-Of-Life Decisions

83. Role-play: You have a 10-year-old patient with a terminal disease who doesn’t understand the severity of their condition. Their parents ask you not to disclose the full extent of the illness to the child. Enter their hospital room to discuss next steps for treatment.
84. Role-play: A patient with terminal cancer is in severe pain and asks you to assist in ending their life. You are in a location where physician-assisted suicide is legal. Call your patient on the phone to talk about this request.
85. Role-play: Your uncle has been in a coma for an extended period and has been informed that there is no hope that he will recover. Your family is divided on whether to continue life support. Talk to your aunt and cousin about their concerns.
86. Role-play: You’re treating a patient with advanced dementia who can no longer make their own medical decisions. The patient’s legal guardian, their adult child, is requesting a treatment that you believe will cause unnecessary suffering with little to no potential benefit. Talk to the guardian about this choice.
87. Non-acting: What steps would you take if a patient with a terminal illness wanted to leave the hospital and spend their last days at home, but their family insisted they stay in the hospital?
88. Non-acting: After tests to determine the cause of persistent headaches and fever in a long-time patient, you discover they have a rare fatal condition. They are unlikely to live more than 3 months. How would you communicate this terminal diagnosis?
89. Non-acting: How would you navigate the ethical dilemmas surrounding the allocation of scarce resources for patients who have a low probability of survival?
90. Non-acting: As a physician, how would you handle a situation where a patient’s family wants to continue aggressive treatment for a terminally ill patient, but the patient wants to stop treatment?
91. Non-acting: How would you approach the issue of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders when the patient’s family disagrees with the patient’s wishes?

Culture & Diversity

92. Role-play: You have a patient who is an immigrant and is fearful of accessing healthcare due to concerns about their immigration status. Talk to the patient, offering reassurance and assistance.
93. Role-play: You are a physician in a community health clinic. One of your patients, who is from a culture in which mental health is highly stigmatized, is exhibiting signs of severe depression. Approach this patient about your concerns.
94. Role-play: A patient from an indigenous community insists on having traditional healing rituals performed before surgery, which could potentially delay the procedure. Talk to them about the consequences that may arise from this decision.
95. Role-play: You are treating a patient who identifies as transgender. Their religious parents are not accepting of their identity and refuse to use their chosen name and pronouns. They also regularly attend appointments. When you address your patient by their chosen pronoun, the parents correct you. Talk to the parents, beginning right after they correct your pronoun usage.
96. Non-acting: A patient refuses treatment from a doctor or nurse, stating their choice is based on their race or ethnicity. How do you respond?
97. Non-acting: You are treating a patient whose cultural beliefs conflict with the medical treatment that you know to be most effective. How would you handle this situation?
98. Non-acting: As a physician, how would you address language barriers with a patient who does not speak your language?
99. Non-acting: A patient’s cultural practices include the use of traditional remedies that can interfere with the effectiveness of prescribed medications. What approach would you take in discussing this with the patient?

Personal Relationships

100. Role-play: You’re at a family gathering when an elderly relative pulls you aside and discloses that they have been experiencing worrying symptoms but haven’t told anyone else yet. They want your opinion but ask you not to tell anyone else in the family. Respond to your relative about their concerns.
101. Role-play: You have been treating a patient for several months and you feel a personal attraction developing. This patient appears to reciprocate your feelings. Talk to your patient when they arrive for their next appointment.
102. Role-play: Your child’s school teacher approaches you while you wait in a school pickup line. They are seeking advice for a medical problem, stating they are embarrassed to see their own doctor about it. Talk to the teacher.
103. Non-acting: As a doctor, what would you do if you discover that your partner or spouse is misusing prescription drugs?
104. Non-acting: How would you handle treating a close friend or family member who is suffering from a terminal illness?
105. Non-acting: A close friend asks you for a prescription for a strong pain medication, stating they are in immense pain but unable to see their doctor until next week. How do you respond?

MMI Sample Questions: Character Development

Character development questions tend to be more personal, but may also include questions from the medical school admissions committee about what you would do as a physician in a certain situation.

1. Share an experience where you had to show empathy towards someone who had fundamentally different beliefs or values from your own. How did you handle the situation?
2. You discover that a colleague has made a significant mistake in a patient’s treatment. How would you handle this situation?
3. Can you describe a time when you had to overcome a significant obstacle to achieve a goal? What did you learn from that experience?
4. How do you deal with stress? Can you provide an example of a stressful situation you managed effectively?
5. Tell us about a time when you failed at something. How did you handle it, and what did you learn from the experience?
6. You’ve encountered a conflict with a colleague regarding the best course of treatment for a patient. How would you address this conflict?
7. A high school friend, who you have heard from friends back home had gotten into “a bad crowd,” recently ran away from home. This friend contacts you one day, asking for money. What do you do?
8. Imagine a situation where you are leading a team of doctors in a critical care situation, and there’s a breakdown in communication. How would you address this communication to best serve the patient?
9. You’re faced with a situation where you have to break bad news to a patient about their prognosis. How would you approach this delicate conversation?
10. You managed to get tickets to the hottest concert of the year and have been looking forward with your best friend. A week before the date, they call and say they’re really hard up for money and would rather sell the tickets than go to the show. How do you talk to your friend?

MMI Sample Questions: Teamwork

1. The interviewer asks you to describe a photo to another interviewee without using any color names. The interviewee has to try and replicate the photo as closely as possible.
2. Discuss the pros and cons of legalizing substances like cannabis and psilocybin with teammates. Consider the impact on the healthcare system. You must come to a unanimous decision.
3. Your partner has a 3-D puzzle and you have the solution printed on a piece of paper. Your partner can only do what you tell them to. You must talk your partner through each step of how to solve the puzzle.

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