More of the country's medical schools are using a new process called the multiple mini interview, which forces candidates to show whether or not they have the communication skills necessary to navigate a healthcare system, according to a New York Times report.
The MMI strays from the traditional focus on grades, test scores and formal interviews. At least eight medical schools have adopted the test, which resembles speed-dating. Students have two minutes to read an ethical dilemma. They then enter a room where an interviewer is waiting and, in eight minutes, the two discuss the ethical situation. When time has elapsed, students move to another ethical dilemma and another interviewer, who scores the student with a number and sometimes a brief note.
Medical school administrators have said the test helps weed out students that may look good on paper but have underdeveloped communication skills. The emphasis on interpersonal communication is emerging after a growing number of studies linked preventable patient deaths to poor communication among physicians, patients and nurses.
Read the New York Times report on medical schools, communication skills and the multiple mini interview.
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The MMI strays from the traditional focus on grades, test scores and formal interviews. At least eight medical schools have adopted the test, which resembles speed-dating. Students have two minutes to read an ethical dilemma. They then enter a room where an interviewer is waiting and, in eight minutes, the two discuss the ethical situation. When time has elapsed, students move to another ethical dilemma and another interviewer, who scores the student with a number and sometimes a brief note.
Medical school administrators have said the test helps weed out students that may look good on paper but have underdeveloped communication skills. The emphasis on interpersonal communication is emerging after a growing number of studies linked preventable patient deaths to poor communication among physicians, patients and nurses.
Read the New York Times report on medical schools, communication skills and the multiple mini interview.
Related Articles on Healthcare Communication:
5 Steps for Promoting Positive Relationships Between Hospital Executives and Physicians
Chuck Lauer: The Gentle Art of Listening
4 Tips for Improving Communication Between Hospital Executives and Physicians