A multiple mini interview (MMI) splits a medical school interview into a circuit of short, timed conversations. The AAMC’s guide to interview types says it “typically consists of 6 to 10 interview stations with different interviewers who each focus on a different question or scenario.” It puts the time at “approximately five minutes at each station” and adds that “the amount of time may differ by school.”
That last clause is the one to plan around. Each school sets its own station count, station length, reading time and list of qualities it assesses. The figures below come from six medical schools’ own pages, read on October 23, 2026, each with the cycle the page names.
Multiple Mini Interview Formats at Six Medical Schools
| School (cycle or date of the page) | Stations | Time per station | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Davis School of Medicine (read October 23, 2026) | Not stated on its admissions pages | Not stated | Virtual; closed-file (blinded) |
| Duke University School of Medicine (2025-26 cycle) | 8 to 10 | About 10 minutes | Virtual |
| Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (read October 23, 2026) | 8: 7 scenario, 1 open | Scenario: 2 minutes to read, 6 to discuss. Open: 2 to prepare, 14 to talk; about 90 minutes for the whole MMI | Virtual interview day |
| University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson (page names the 2026-2027 cycle) | Not stated | 2 minutes to prepare; about 60 minutes for the whole MMI | Virtual |
| University of Georgia School of Medicine (2027 matriculants) | 6 | 8 minutes: 2 to review, 6 to respond | Virtual, via Zoom; closed |
| Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (read October 23, 2026) | Scenario stations plus one traditional station; count not stated | Not stated; the video on its page describes 2 minutes to read | Page text: not stated; its undated video describes an in-person day |
Of the three schools that state a count, Georgia runs six stations and Duke up to ten. Four of the six give two minutes to read or prepare before you speak: Hofstra, Arizona, Georgia and, in the video on its page, Virginia Tech Carilion. Five describe their interviews as virtual, Duke’s for the 2025-26 cycle.
Virginia Tech Carilion’s page text does not say whether its interviews are virtual or in person. The undated video on the page describes an in-person day, with a reception at a hotel the night before and stations you enter through a door.
A virtual MMI at five of these schools says nothing about the next school on your list. The AAMC notes that schools offer one or more of four formats: live in-person, live virtual, hybrid, and recorded (asynchronous) virtual interviews.
How an MMI Station Works
The Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell describes the mechanics most fully. Each of its seven scenario stations gives you two minutes to read the scenario and prepare, then six minutes to discuss it with the interviewer. Its open station is “similar to a traditional one-on-one interview”: two minutes to prepare, 14 minutes of conversation, and an interviewer who “has access to your full application.”
Not every station is a written scenario. For the 2025-26 cycle, Duke’s interview page listed “Five Ethical Stations, Two Traditional Interviews, Team Stations (visited twice), and one Video Station.” At the video station you respond to a video instead of a written prompt. Arizona says each prompt may be “a question, scenario or task”, including traditional questions such as why you want to become a physician.
Who Is in the Room
Whether your interviewer has read your file depends on the school and the station. Duke says its raters “will be blinded to your application prior to meeting you,” and UC Davis and Georgia both call their MMIs closed. At Hofstra’s open station, by contrast, the interviewer has your full application.
Virginia Tech Carilion pairs its MMI with a separate traditional interview. The video on its page says that interview is with a voting member of the admissions committee who has read your application. Nor are the raters all physicians: Duke’s are members of an admissions committee that includes administrators, faculty, staff and students, and Hofstra’s include members of its faculty, staff and student body.
What the Stations Assess, in Each School's Words
- Duke (2025-26): “empathy, initiative and resilience, communication and problem-solving skills, teamwork, insight and integrity and cultural competence”
- Hofstra: critical thinking, communication skills, ethical reasoning and problem-solving ability, at its scenario stations
- Arizona: “communication, professionalism, ethical reasoning and critical thinking”
- Virginia Tech Carilion: “behavioral competencies such as communication, ethical and moral judgment, problem-solving, and responsibility”
- UC Davis: “experiences and attributes relevant to a career in medicine”
- Georgia: calls its MMIs “mission-aligned”
Communication appears on four of these six lists, and an ethics term on four (counting Duke’s ethical stations). Three schools say the MMI is not a medical knowledge test. Duke says it will instead “evaluate your thought process and ability to think on your feet,” Arizona says the MMI “is not intended to evaluate scientific or clinical knowledge,” and Virginia Tech Carilion states, “No prior medical knowledge is required for the MMI.”
Duke and Hofstra both say the scenarios have no right or wrong answer (Hofstra: “no right or wrong answers”).
The UC Davis MMI Interview
UC Davis School of Medicine interviews by invitation only, and its how-to-apply page names the MMI as its format. It calls the MMI “a closed-file (blinded) interview approach.” Interviews are “typically held mid-August through early April,” are “conducted virtually,” and usually fall on Mondays and Fridays.
The same page sets the timing around the interview. Its secondary application step says interview invitations “are sent on a rolling basis starting in July.” Final decisions come “within 30-45 days post-interview.” Separately, UC Davis requires the AAMC PREview exam of its MD applicants, except MD/PhD applicants and Huwighurruk scholars; the page says the exam assesses “pre-professional competencies for medical school readiness.”
Neither that page nor the school’s Applicant Handbook gives a station count, a station length or a reading time. Our suggestion: practice at more than one station length, since neither page gives one.
What UC Davis Says the MMI Assesses
What the stations look for comes from a UC Davis Health interview published August 1, 2025, with Mark Servis, the school’s vice dean for medical education. He called the MMI “specifically designed to assess traits like resilience, adaptability, teamwork and conflict resolution.” He also said it “functions as a series of situational judgment tests, often using standardized actors to simulate real-world challenges.” That is one dean’s description in a news feature; the admissions page is the one that sets the format, and it says interviews are virtual.
What to Practice for the MMI
Duke, Georgia and Arizona give preparation advice on the pages we read. Duke’s is about the format: “The strongest advice is to understand the basic structure, time limit, number of stations, and read carefully any prompts directed to you.” It adds that lists of practice questions are not helpful, because the MMI does not use the same questions as a traditional interview.
Georgia’s admissions page suggests watching MMI videos and examples, and scheduling “a mock MMI with a pre-med advisor or career consultant.” It also says, “It is highly recommended applicants conduct a mock interview, if possible.” Arizona’s MMI section suggests “practicing with a friend, family member or adviser, or recording yourself to evaluate your communication style and clarity,” and says it does “not recommend memorizing or rehearsing responses.”
What follows is our advice, built on those pages, not a rule any school has set:
- Practice on each school’s clock. Time yourself to the format your schools publish: two minutes to read and six to respond for Georgia and for Hofstra’s scenario stations, about ten minutes per station at Duke in 2025-26.
- Use the reading window on purpose. In two minutes, name the problem in the prompt, the people it affects and the first thing you would do. Say that plan out loud in your first sentence.
- Rehearse every station type a school names. Duke’s list alone covers ethics scenarios, team stations, a video prompt and traditional interviews. Arizona says its prompts “may include traditional interview questions” such as why you want to become a physician, and that it does “not recommend memorizing or rehearsing responses”: know your reasons cold, and practice saying them without a script.
- Practice on camera. Five of the six pages describe virtual interviews, so rehearse on the device and connection you will use, looking at the camera rather than at yourself on screen.
- Practice with someone who does not know your file. At a closed MMI, that is how your raters meet you, so a mock MMI with a stranger is closer to the real thing than one with a friend.
If you want structured practice, ExceptionalGrad’s Medical School And Residency Interview Preparation lists “Format Variety”, “Difficult Scenarios” and “Real-Time Feedback” among its features. Its page names practice in “a variety of formats such as multiple mini-interviews.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How many MMI stations are there?
It depends on the school. The AAMC guide, read in October 2026, says an MMI typically has 6 to 10 stations. Georgia lists six for its 2027 matriculants, Hofstra eight as read in October 2026, and Duke 8 to 10 for the 2025-26 cycle. UC Davis does not publish a count on its admissions pages.
How long is each MMI station?
Each school sets its own timing. The AAMC guide, read in October 2026, gives about five minutes per station and notes that the time may differ by school. Georgia’s stations for 2027 matriculants run eight minutes, two to review and six to respond, and Duke’s ran about 10 minutes in the 2025-26 cycle.
What is the difference between an MMI and a traditional interview?
An MMI spreads your interview across several short stations, each with a different interviewer, per the AAMC guide read in October 2026. Duke’s 2025-26 page credits the format’s reliability to standard scenarios and multiple raters “rather than one or two interviewers.” Some schools use both: Hofstra’s circuit includes one open, traditional-style station.
How do you prepare for an MMI interview?
Start with each school’s own page. Duke’s 2025-26 FAQ advises learning the structure, time limit and number of stations, and calls lists of practice questions unhelpful. Georgia recommends a mock MMI, as read in October 2026. Our addition: rehearse aloud on each school’s published clock, including the reading window where a school has one.