MMI practice set: communication

Checked 19 October 2026 against the sources listed at the end.

We wrote every scenario here ourselves. None is a real station, none is remembered from an actual interview, and every university has its own criteria, so use them to practise thinking, not to predict an interview. The approach under each one is one strong way to organise your thinking, not the answer. Practise out loud, in your own words, and time yourself. Station formats are described by Adelaide University↗ (external link), UWA↗ (external link) and the University of Auckland↗ (external link), and UQ publishes a pre-interview briefing pack↗ (external link). For the standards doctors are held to, see the code of conduct that the Medical Board of Australia publishes, Good medical practice↗ (external link).

Some scenarios touch on stress and wellbeing. Anyone who is struggling, or who is worried about a friend, can phone Lifeline (13 11 14) or Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800). In New Zealand, call or text 1737. For an emergency, dial 000 (111 in New Zealand).

Scenario 1: The medicine label

Prompt

You are volunteering in a community pharmacy. An older customer holds a box of tablets and says, "The doctor told me to take these with food, but I take them at 6 am before I leave for my walk. Does it matter?" The pharmacist is with another customer.

What it probes: Whether you can help without overstepping your role.

One strong approach

1. Greet them and ask what the label and the doctor's note actually say.
2. Say what you do not know, and avoid guessing about a medicine.
3. Offer to fetch the pharmacist and explain what you will pass on.
4. Check they feel comfortable waiting, and thank them for asking.

Points worth reaching

• Staying within your role is a strength, not a failure.
• The person is better served by a correct answer a few minutes late.
• Passing on the question clearly saves them repeating it.

Common traps

• Giving a confident answer you cannot support.
• Saying only "ask the pharmacist" and walking off.

One way an answer might sound (for Scenario 1, "The medicine label"; yours should be in your own words)

"Thanks for asking. I'm a volunteer, not a pharmacist, so I don't want to guess about your tablets. Could I read the label with you? It says take them with food, so I'd like the pharmacist to tell you whether your early walk changes anything. She'll be free in a couple of minutes, and I'll tell her exactly what you asked so you don't have to repeat it. While we wait, would you like to sit down? If you'd rather not wait, I can write the question on a note and she can phone you."

This is a worded example of one strong approach, not the answer. Notice the order: acknowledge, ask or look for facts, weigh the people involved, choose an action, and say what you would do next.

Scenario 2: Two versions of the story

Prompt

A teenager tells you their friend has been sleeping badly and snapped at their teacher. The friend asks you to keep it quiet. You also hear a different account from another student that makes the first sound exaggerated.

What it probes: How you handle conflicting information and confidentiality.

One strong approach

1. Listen to each account without taking sides.
2. Ask open questions: what happened, how is your friend now.
3. Explain what you can keep private and what you could not.
4. Encourage the friend towards a trusted adult, and offer to go along.

Points worth reaching

• Curiosity beats judgement when accounts differ.
• Be honest about the limits of confidentiality.
• Support does not mean solving it alone.

Common traps

• Promising total secrecy.
• Deciding who is right on little evidence.

Scenario 3: Explaining a diagram

Prompt

You volunteer at a health fair. A man asks you to explain a pamphlet about why blood pressure matters. He says he left school early and finds the text confusing.

What it probes: Plain language and respect.

One strong approach

1. Ask what he already knows and what he wants to find out.
2. Use everyday comparisons and short sentences.
3. Check understanding by asking him to say it back in his own words.
4. Offer to write down two points he can show his doctor.

Points worth reaching

• Plain does not mean simple-minded.
• Checking understanding is a skill, not a test.
• Respect his time and his experience.

Common traps

• Talking too fast or using jargon.
• Making him feel slow for asking.

Scenario 4: The late arrival

Prompt

You are in charge of welcoming people to an open day. A parent arrives twenty minutes late, frustrated, and says the sign was misleading. The next session has started.

What it probes: Staying calm and solving the problem.

One strong approach

1. Acknowledge the frustration and thank them for coming.
2. Say what you can do now: join late, or book the next session.
3. Offer to pass on the feedback about the sign.
4. Follow up quickly so they leave with a plan.

Points worth reaching

• Acknowledge before you explain.
• Offer choices that you can actually deliver.
• Take the feedback seriously without being defensive.

Common traps

• Arguing about whose fault it was.
• Promising things outside your control.

Scenario 5: The interpreter is late

Prompt

A patient who speaks little English arrives for a simple appointment. The interpreter is delayed by an hour. A relative offers to translate.

What it probes: Professional judgement about communication support.

One strong approach

1. Welcome the patient and explain, with a gesture or sign, that help is coming.
2. Explain why a professional interpreter is preferred, particularly for private or complex topics.
3. Offer simple, safe tasks such as paperwork while waiting.
4. Involve the supervising clinician so the decision is theirs.

Points worth reaching

• A relative can help with comfort and basics but may filter sensitive information.
• Raise the issue with the person responsible rather than deciding alone.
• Dignity matters while people wait.

Common traps

• Relying wholly on the relative for sensitive topics.
• Ignoring the patient while the delay continues.

Scenario 6: Feedback for a classmate

Prompt

In a group project, a classmate keeps interrupting others. The group is frustrated and has asked you to say something.

What it probes: Giving feedback kindly and usefully.

One strong approach

1. Pick a private, calm time.
2. Describe the behaviour and its effect rather than the person's character.
3. Ask for their view first.
4. Agree on a small change together and offer to check in.

Points worth reaching

• Specific and kind beats general and blunt.
• Listening first often changes the whole conversation.
• Agree on next steps.

Common traps

• Saying "you are rude".
• Letting the group bring a list of complaints to them.

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