Multiple mini interview performance of repeat applicants to medical school admission

To the Editor: As the use of the multiple mini interview (MMI) for selecting applicants for admission to health professional programs increases, so does the number of coaching classes assumed to help improve performance on the MMI.1 Moreover, applicants applying to several professional programs have multiple opportunities to gain experience in a high-stakes environment. These realities usher concerns about the influence of “practice effect” on subsequent MMI performance.2 While short-term prior access to MMI questions did not influence applicants' performance in a Canadian medical school,3 in Australia, MMI participation in the year after the original attempt improved scores on stations (short, structured interviews to assess personal qualities such as communication, professionalism, ethics skills) that were the same or similar to original MMI stations.2