How to run an MMI practice session and give useful peer feedback
By Videoath · Updated
Give everyone a clear role. One person answers, one reads the prompt and keeps time, and one listens for specific evidence. Afterward, feedback should quote what was said, name what was missing, and suggest one change. Feedback in the form "I heard this, I didn't hear that, next time try this" helps more than "that was good."
A 45-minute session for two or three people
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Agree on the format and a practice time limit. Choose prompts nobody has seen |
| 5 to 15 | Round 1. One person answers, one keeps time, one observes |
| 15 to 20 | Feedback, observer first, then the timekeeper, then the person who answered |
| 20 to 40 | Rotate roles twice |
| 40 to 45 | Each person names one change to try next time |
With only two people, the timekeeper also observes. Use practice prompts from a public source, not questions someone remembers from a real sitting.
The observer card
Give the observer three questions to answer, in writing if possible.
- In one sentence, what did they decide or recommend?
- What was the strongest reason they gave? Quote it.
- What did you expect to hear that you didn't?
Feedback that helps
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| "That was really good." | "You said you'd talk to the volunteer privately before deciding. That made your first step clear." |
| "Be more empathetic." | "You didn't ask why they'd missed shifts before choosing what to do." |
| "You rambled a bit." | "You made the same point about fairness three times. The second and third added nothing new." |
| "Sound more confident." | "Your decision came at the very end. Try saying it in the first 30 seconds." |
Give one change per round. With a list of six, the person answering won't know where to start.
Add follow-ups for live practice
If you're preparing for a live interview, the observer can ask one follow-up at the end of each answer, such as "What if that doesn't work?" or "Who else does this affect?" For a recorded assessment, skip the live follow-up. Instead, check whether the answer covered those questions without being asked. The guide to recorded and live interviews explains why.
Finding partners you can trust
Most admissions cycles have study groups and online servers, but how active they are varies, and getting enough people together can be hard. Agree on a time and format in advance. You don't need to share essays, application documents or personal details in order to practise. If someone offers help based on their credentials, it's reasonable to confirm who they are before you share anything personal.
If you agreed to keep an assessment's content confidential, don't share it in a practice group, even when someone asks.
Friends and family who know nothing about medicine can make excellent observers. Give them the observer card.
When nobody is available
Solo recording covers much of the same ground. See the solo practice guide. The relevance guide also works as a checklist for reviewing your own answers.
Before your next session, pick three public MMI practice questions so nobody has prepared for them.