Preparing for your Pharmacy MMI

Preparing for your MMI

Pharmacy MMI Interview Advice

When it comes to your interview, what is it that we are looking for?

Do not panic, when it comes to interviewing for Pharmacy at Swansea we want the best from you. Just like when you join us to study Pharmacy we are committed to getting the best from you, finding out what makes you tick, helping you flourish and preparing you for your career as a Pharmacist.

This page describes the online interview process for the 4-year MPharm (Hons) Pharmacy programme. The online interview for the 5-year MPharm (Hons) Pharmacy with a Preparatory (Foundation) Year has a slightly different format but it does assess the same skills and competencies.

What is an Multi Mini Interview (MMI)?

A Multiple Mini Interview or MMI for short is a style of interview often used in clinical courses such as Pharmacy, Medicine, Physician Associate and Nursing among others.

An MMI is simply a station based approach to an interview. You will be presented with 5 stations, each of the stations is designed to assess a key skill, competency or knowledge. At these stations you are given an allotted amount of time to complete a task or answer a question. You will be evaluated at each station and these scores will be used to help decide whether somebody should be offered a place on the MPharm course.

For Pharmacy at Swansea we have chosen to use the MMI approach as it will give you the opportunity to demonstrate a variety of skills to a diverse range of staff, giving you the opportunity to show us what make you tick.

So the MMI is not something designed to scare you. The MMI stations are straightforward and the team on hand on the day are there to help you perform to the best of your ability; that is why we have developed this guide to MMI at Swansea to help you prepare. We want to get to know you, and then see how you reflect the key competencies necessary to become a Pharmacist; for us these are:

Problem Solving

Pharmacists need to be able to manage difficult situations. As a Pharmacist you are going to face problems on a daily basis, whether these are the puzzle of a complex drug interaction or managing difficult situations in practice.

What to expect from this station: We will present you with a challenging situation and ask how you would approach this problem, or what you would do in this situation?

What we are looking for: We want to be able to see how you approach this problem, how you balance the arguments and counter-arguments, and then how you will conclude with a course of action. We are not looking to test your knowledge here, we are looking to see how you think. There is not always a "right answer" to a problem, but we are interested in how you come to a decision.

Ethics

Pharmacists need to practice ethically at all times. The General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) Standards for Pharmacy Professionals are core to Pharmacists.

There are 9 Standards the GPhC expect of Pharmacists these are:

Provide person centred care
Work in partnership with others
Communicate effectively
Maintain develop and use their professional knowledge and skills
Use professional judgement
Behave in a professional manner
Respect and maintain the person's confidentiality and privacy
Speak up when they have concerns or when things go wrong
Demonstrate leadership

More information on the GPhC Standards for pharmacy Professionals can be found on their website.

What to expect from this station: We will ask you how one of these Standards applies to a given scenario. You will need to think and understand what this Standard means for a Pharmacy professional and how they might apply in a situation. (Don't worry though, we will make sure you are provided with a copy of the Standards in good time prior to your MMI).

What we are looking for: At the most basic of levels we are looking to see whether you understand the standards required to practise as a Pharmacist, that you have sound and ethical judgement and when in a difficult situation you will hold these at the forefront of your mind, actions and practise. We appreciate that you are only right at the start of your Pharmacy journey and you will be evaluated accordingly.

Knowledge of the Profession

Undertaking an MPharm isn't just undertaking another degree, but the first step on your way to a career in Pharmacy whether that be in patient care, medicines management or even drug discovery and development.

What to expect from this station: OK, this one is a little bit more about your knowledge. Put simply, we want to know about your understanding of the profession in which you intend to enter. Tell us what Pharmacy is, what Pharmacists do, how the role is developing and maybe even slip in what excites you about this career.

What we are looking for: Pharmacy is the 3rd largest registered healthcare profession in the UK, and we feel that for our students to be successful it is important that you know as an MPharm applicant, what Pharmacy is, what Pharmacists do and how the role is developing and changing, and show us that you have a passion for the subject.

Pharmacist explaining something in a Pharmacy

Numeracy Skills

Numeracy skills are critical to many elements of being a Pharmacist; particularly in patient safety and the management of medicines in health and care settings. The difference between a therapeutic dose and a toxic dose can sometimes be fine, so numeracy skills are of paramount importance.

What to expect from this station: This MMI station is relatively simple and clear cut, here you will be presented with a series of questions focused on basic numeracy skills relating to Pharmacy.

What we are looking for: You will take this test under supervision and an evaluation of your numeracy skills will be made based upon the number of correct answers you provide.

student calculating drugs on a prescription

Teamworking

Pharmacists are integral members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, so being able to work effectively with others is an important skill to develop.

What to expect from this station: The group exercise MMI station will require you to work with other team members to solve a problem. You will only be able to come to a resolution by working together. You and the other members of the group will be observed by an academic member of staff as you work together through a task.

What we are looking for: We understand that you may find your interview a daunting experience, so the observer will not be quantifying your individual performance just looking at how you perform in a group, e.g. checking that you are not dismissive towards other applicants.