A Compilation of Practice MMI Questions

[zippity]

Hey everyone,

 

I was looking around and discover no obvious compilation of MMI questions. For those of us encountering this fragile entity, a list of many of them useful for practicing would be of the utmost value. I would appreciate those who have ideas for tangible questions to simply post them below and keep this alive as a changing reference for MMI practice.

 

 

 

To begin from my own university's mock MMI last year:

• Placebo (Ethical Decision Making)
  Dr Smith recommends homeopathic medicines to his patients. There is no scientific evidence or widely accepted theory to suggest that homeopathic medicines work, and Dr Smith doesn't believe them to. He recommends homeopathic medicine to people with mild and non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and muscle aches, because he believes that it will do no harm, but will give them reassurance.
  Consider the ethical problems that Dr Smith’s behaviour might pose. Discuss these issues with the interviewer.
   
  
• Aspartame (Critical Thinking)
  A message that recently appeared on the Web warned readers of the dangers of aspartame (artificial sweetener – Nutrasweet, Equal) as a cause of an epidemic of multiple sclerosis (a progressive chronic disease of the nervous system) and systemic lupus (a multisystem auto-immune disease). The biological explanation provided was that, at body temperature, aspartame releases wood alcohol (methanol), which turns into formic acid, which 'is in the same class of drugs as cyanide and arsenic.' Formic acid, they argued, causes metabolic acidosis. Clinically, aspartame poisoning was argued to be a cause of joint pain, numbness, cramps, vertigo, headaches, depression, anxiety, slurred speech and blurred vision. The authors claimed that aspartame remains on the market because the food and drug industries have powerful lobbies in Congress. They quoted Dr Rhonda Blaylock, who said, 'The ingredients stimulate the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees.'
  Critique this message, in terms of the strength of the arguments presented and their logical consistency. Your critique might include an indication of the issues that you would like to delve into further before assessing the validity of these claims.
   
  
• Air Travel (Communication Skills)
  Your company needs both you and a co-worker (Sara, a colleague from another branch of the company) to attend a critical business meeting in San Diego. You have just arrived to drive Sara to the airport.
  Sara (played by an actor) is in the room.
   
  
• Deterrent Fees (Societal Health Issues in Canada)
  Recently, the Prime Minister of Canada raised the issue of deterrent fees (a small charge, say $10, which everyone who initiates a visit to a health professional would have to pay at the first contact) as a way to control health care costs. The assumption is that this will deter people from visiting their doctor for unnecessary reasons.
  Consider the broad implications of this policy for health and health care costs. For example, do you think the approach will save health care costs? At what expense? Discuss this issue with the interviewer.
   
  
• Standard Interview
  Why do you want to be a physician? Discuss this question with the interviewer.
   
  
• Class Size (Critical Thinking)
  Universities are commonly faced with the complicated task of balancing the educational needs of their students and the cost required to provide learning resources to a large number of individuals. As a result of this tension, there has been much debate regarding the optimal size of classes. One side argues that smaller classes provide a more educationally effective setting for students, while others argue that it makes no difference, so larger classes should be used to minimise the number of instructors required.
  Discuss your opinion on this issue with the examiner.
   
  
• Parking Garage (Communication Skills)
  The parking garage at your place of work has assigned parking spots. On leaving your spot, you are observed by the garage attendant as you back into a neighbouring car, knocking out its left front headlight and denting the left front fender. The garage attendant gives you the name and office number of the owner of the neighbouring car, telling you that she is calling ahead to the car owner, Tim. The garage attendant tells you that Tim is expecting your visit.
  Enter Tim's office. Tim will be played by an actor.
   
  
• Preferential Admission (Societal Health Issues in Canada)
  Due to the shortage of physical therapists in rural communities, it has been suggested that physical therapy programmes preferentially admit students who are willing to commit to a 2 or 3, year tenure in an under-serviced area upon graduation.
  Consider the broad implications of this policy for health and health care costs. For example, do you think the approach will be effective? At what expense? Discuss this issue with the interviewer.
   
  

[w8kg6]

Hey there. The questions you've listed above were given in a journal article a few years ago that was discussing the merits of the MMI system and gave those questions as examples. I think you'll have a really hard timing coming across examples other than those, since the ones you've listed are the standard questions that all schools provide as examples for people trying to prepare for interviews.

 

Good luck with your detective work, but I'm afraid you may find that it will be a difficult search.

[Leon]

Check this thread.

[zippity]

@Leon: Thank you for the link and I will pm Gorgeous as well in hope of a similar result. Any realistic MMI questions found through online means will be copied to this thread.

 

 

Hey there. The questions you've listed above were given in a journal article a few years ago that was discussing the merits of the MMI system and gave those questions as examples. I think you'll have a really hard timing coming across examples other than those, since the ones you've listed are the standard questions that all schools provide as examples for people trying to prepare for interviews.

 

Good luck with your detective work, but I'm afraid you may find that it will be a difficult search.

 

 

I understand, and thank you. I wasn't aware they were from that journal haha, we were emailed them and I assumed they were simply novel inventions. Still, I was hoping we could compile self created questions, as long as they be reasonable. Of course I would not expect any actual previous questions to be posted besides pure coincidence.

 

Regardless, I will post more as I encounter them. There are only so many categories of MMI questions, and so creating some should not prove too difficult.

[Leon]

Actually, you'll have to PM me if you want f_d's MMI package. I think gorgeous isn't sending them out at the moment.

 

And if you do, you will probably not be able to post the material on the forum without crashing the server. There's simply too much.

[zippity]

1. What do you think will be your greatest challenge in completing medical school or learning how to be a doctor?

 

2. What do you feel are the most important qualities in being a good doctor?

 

3.What do you think is the most pressing issue in medicine today?

 

4. If there was an accident on the highway, would you stop and help the victims, knowing that doing so might lead to a malpractice claim against you?

 

5. If your best friends were asked to describe you, what would they say?

 

6. Discuss with the interviewer current areas open to improvement in the Canadian medical system.

[w8kg6]

1. What do you think will be your greatest challenge in completing medical school or learning how to be a doctor?

 

2. What do you feel are the most important qualities in being a good doctor?

 

3.What do you think is the most pressing issue in medicine today?

 

4. If there was an accident on the highway, would you stop and help the victims, knowing that doing so might lead to a malpractice claim against you?

 

5. If your best friends were asked to describe you, what would they say?

 

6. Discuss with the interviewer current areas open to improvement in the Canadian medical system.

 

These are more traditional interview questions, but thanks for posting them! There are some traditional questions on every MMI experience (usually 2 or 3 of the 10), and since these kinds of questions are so much easier to come by, it'd be worth your while to research these as well.

[meg137]

Here's a few questions I was asked in a recent mock MMI

 

 

1. (problem solving) The government wants to track citizens across the country in order to maintain public safety in the face of growing terrorism. How would you advise the government to do this?

 

2. (ethics) You have two patients who need an organ transplant and one organ available. One is a 20 year old drug addict and the other is a 70 year old prominent member of the community. Who do you give the transplant to and why? What information will you use to make your decision?

 

3. (communication) You are sitting at a desk in front of the interviewer with a screen between you. You have a set of blocks in front of you and you have to set them up in a certain way. The interviewer knows the solution and you cant see them and can only ask them yes or no questions. Correctly assemble the blocks.

 

4. What do you see as being the biggest issues/problems in health care now and in the future. What do you think are possible solutions to these issues?

 

5. (ethics) The Canadian Pediatric Association has recommended that circumcisions 'not be routinely performed'. They base this recommendation on their determination that 'the benefits have not been shown to clearly

outweigh the risks and costs'. Doctors have no obligation to refer for, or provide, a circumcision, but many do, even when they are clearly not medically necessary. Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) no

longer pays for unnecessary circumcisions. Discuss the ethical problems that exist in this case.

 

6. (respect for diversity, communication) Imagine you are the principal of a full fee paying school. There has been an allegation by members of

the public of an incident in a park in which at least two senior school students were seen verbally abusing a young person with intellectual impairment for the amusement of a group of other students.

Two final year students are to attend a hearing with the principal to explain their actions in the incident. What are the issues the principal is likely to consider at the hearing?

 

Then of course the usual why do you want to be a doctor? What skills do you have that would make you a good doctor? If we were to talk to your professors, what would they say about you?