Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences MMI Preparation
The Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) announced the successful conclusion of Multiple Mini Interviews (MBRU MMI), an assessment format, for 200 prospective medical students for its College of Medicine.
The innovative approach earns MBRU the distinction of being one of the leading universities in the region to deploy such a student selection tool for its Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) 2016-2022 Program.
The assessments to select the first batch of 50 medical students were conducted in association with MBRU’s academic partner Queen’s University Belfast, one of UK’s leading research intensive universities. The assessments concluded in the last week of April at MBRU’s campus in Dubai Healthcare City.
Instead of traditional one-on-one interviews in which each applicant meets with a single interviewer, MBRU introduced MMIs, which required medical students to complete a circuit of 15 different scoring stations of five minutes each. At each station, assessors evaluated students’ soft skills such as maturity; communication; critical thinking; problem solving; ethical decision-making; empathy and cultural sensitivity; among other non-cognitive skills.
He explained that MBRU has instituted best practice procedures in student admissions. “Our objective is to assure the society that MBRU is selecting the right students based on both academic and non-academic attributes to train doctors of the future,” said Dr Sharif.
The students represented 23 nationalities with the majority being Emiratis. One of the female medical students described her experience, “It was great and enjoyable! It was my first time going through such an approach. It’s a very good way to evaluate students by assessing their personality besides their marks.”
Dr Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Dean of the College of Medicine, stressed the importance of MMI as part of the admission process, “The role of a doctor goes beyond medical knowledge and technical abilities. A doctor must be able to communicate effectively and demonstrate empathy towards patients and their families as well as make ethically-sound decisions. The MMIs are designed to explore these crucial personal attributes in aspiring medical students.”
MBRU partnership with Queen’s University Belfast includes quality assurance in the provision of advice and guidance on student selection and admissions among other areas.
The multiple mini interviews (MMI) is an interview process comprised of several short independent assessments, typically arranged in a timed circuit. The process results in an aggregate score of each candidate’s non-cognitive (“soft”) skills such as interpersonal skills, professionalism and moral judgment. Since its introduction in 2004, the MMI process has been adopted by medical, dental and pharmacy schools around the world.
At the start of each mini interview rotation, a candidate receives a question/scenario and has a short period of time (typically one minute) to prepare an answer. Upon entering the interview room, the candidate has a short exchange with an assessor (usually about 5 minutes). In some cases, the assessor observes while an interaction takes place between a simulated patient and the candidate. At the end of each mini interview, the assessor evaluates the candidate’s performance on the activity against set criteria while the applicant moves to the next station. This pattern is repeated through a number of rotations (usually 10-15). Some stations are designated as “rest stations” meaning that no interview takes place. The candidate is expected to sit quietly during that time. The duration of the entire interview is usually about 90 minutes (1 ½ hours).
MBRU MMI Preparation :
The interview scenarios are designed to test non-cognitive competencies which are key to medicine, such as:
- Communication Skills
- Problem-solving
- Empathy
- Moral/ethical reasoning and decision making
Although participants must relate to the scenario posed at each station, it is important to note that the MMI is not intended to test specific knowledge in the field. Instead, the assessors evaluate each candidate’s thought process and ability to think ‘on his or her feet’. As such, there are no right or wrong answers to the questions posed in an MMI, but each applicant should consider the question from a variety of perspectives.
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