MMI role play stations put you in the room with an actor playing a patient, relative, or colleague. You are assessed on communication and professionalism — not on "winning" the scenario or diagnosing a condition.
What Panels Are Scoring
- Do you listen before advising?
- Can you stay calm when someone is upset or angry?
- Do you maintain boundaries and dignity?
- Is your language clear and free of jargon?
These stations draw heavily on empathy and communication competencies.
Use EMP For Most Role Plays
EMP — Explore, Mirror, Partner:
- Explore — Ask what happened from their perspective. Let them speak.
- Mirror — Reflect emotion and concerns: "I can see this is frustrating."
- Partner — Agree practical next steps together rather than lecturing.
Example Opening For An Upset Patient
"Thank you for telling me — I can see you are frustrated, and I want to understand what happened from your point of view. Could you walk me through what concerned you most? Once I understand that, we can talk about what I can do to help today."
When The Scenario Involves Bad News — Use SPIKES
For breaking bad news or acute distress, structure with SPIKES:
- Setting — Privacy, sit down, minimise interruptions
- Perception — "What do you understand so far?"
- Invitation — "How much detail would you like?"
- Knowledge — Clear, honest information in plain language
- Empathy — Pause and respond to emotion
- Strategy — Next steps and support
Practical Role Play Tips
- You are a future doctor, not an examiner — stay in role
- Silence is better than rushing to fill every pause
- Do not match aggression; acknowledge feelings while keeping boundaries
- Ask clarifying questions — it shows engagement
- Pace yourself; stations are short but feel intense
Common Mistakes
- Jumping straight to medical advice or solutions
- Dismissing feelings ("There's nothing to worry about")
- Using jargon with a distressed person
- Breaking character or apologising for the scenario
Prepare With Real Follow-Ups
Role play gets harder when the actor pushes back. Practise empathy questions and communication questions in the bank, then run timed spoken practice.
Go Doctor's AI interviewer simulates real-time stations — voice-to-voice, with follow-up questions based on what you actually say. That is closer to an MMI than reading scripts alone.