Dental schools use either the traditional or multiple mini interview (MMI) format to interview applicants. Dentistry MMI interviews have increased in popularity during the past few years, replacing traditional interviews at many universities.
This page will provide information on everything you need to know about Dentistry MMIs and the best ways to prepare for one!
MMIs involve a number of stations which assess different skills and qualities. An interviewer will be present at each station to assess you on a given scenario. They won’t have any idea how you performed at other stations. There are typically 10 stations and each station is usually five minutes long.
Your overall score is then used alongside your predicted grades, UKCAT and personal statement to decide who to give an offer.
Got a Dentistry interview coming up? Book your space on a Dentistry MMI Circuit!
Book a Dentistry MMI CircuitFrom a university’s perspective, an MMI is favourable over a traditional dental school interview for many reasons. These include how they allow schools to:
The table below summarises the areas to focus on when preparing for any dental school using MMIs. This is based on previous years’ interview experiences and information provided by the university.
| Dental School | Key Areas to Focus On |
|---|---|
| Birmingham | Role-play Ethical scenarios Manual dexterity Data interpretation Logical thinking |
| Bristol | Manual dexterity Ethical scenarios Traditional interview questions Data interpretation |
| Cardiff | Logical thinking Ethical scenarios Data interpretation Creativity Problem solving |
| King's College London | Ethical scenarios Traditional interview questions Communication skills Interpreting images |
| Leeds | Presentation Responsibility Communication skills |
| Liverpool | Ethical scenarios Traditional interview questions Manual dexterity Role-play |
| Manchester | Communication skills Traditional interview questions Ethical scenarios |
1. Do thorough research into the university
Make sure you’re aware of the location, teaching style, societies and unique facilities. This shows your genuine interest in studying there. Use these factors to your advantage by showing how they make you an ideal student.
2. Record yourself discussing a current hot topic in Dentistry for 5 minutes (e.g. the sugar tax, new dental technology)
This will help you to perfect your time management skills and ensure that you can practice communicating concisely and clearly.
3. Practice role-playing
Role-play stations are common at most MMIs and catch a lot of students off guard. They will test your ethics, communication and teamwork skills all at once.
Role-playing with someone watching you is a great way to prepare. For example, you can get a friend to act as a nervous patient, while you play the role of a junior dentist responsible for calming her down.
4. Read the General Dental Council (GDC) Standards
Ethical scenarios will come up in every MMI, so it’s important to recap the ethical guidelines set by the GDC. This will help you to formulate your answers and present a balanced argument for any complex ethical case you are given.
Words: Tayyiba Yunus
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