MMI practice scenarios: communication

These are original practice scenarios. They are not real stations, and none is recalled from any real interview. Each university sets its own criteria, so use these for thinking practice, not as a prediction of what you will be asked. The frameworks are our own suggestions for organising your thinking, not official marking guides from any university.

ExamExplained is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any university or the UCAT ANZ Consortium. We are run alongside a tutoring business (see /about); the universities' own pages always come first.

Some scenarios mention a friend who is struggling. If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (New Zealand: call or text 1737). In an emergency call 000 (New Zealand 111).

These scenarios use Australian professional settings. If you are applying to a New Zealand school, also read the Medical Council of New Zealand's guidance and the university's own published MMI material.

Good communication is a core part of professional practice. Not every university uses role-play stations (the University of Queensland, for example, says it does not use acting or role-play stations), so this page practises communication skills rather than predicting a format. Useful things to practise are how you start, how you listen, how you respond to feeling and how you close. Practise these with a friend, out loud, because reading is not the same as speaking.

Scenario 1: A hard conversation, gently

Prompt

You play a student asked to speak with an actor who has just been told that their elderly pet will not recover. The actor is the owner and is quiet and teary. A vet has asked you to sit with them and check how they are coping while the vet prepares paperwork.

What the station is probing

Whether you can be present with grief without rushing to fix it.

A framework to think it through

• Prepare: introduce yourself, sit down, and make sure the setting is private.
• Invite: ask what they understand and how they are feeling.
• Acknowledge: name the emotion and allow silence.
• Offer: practical next steps, such as time or contact for support.
• Close: check what they would like next, and who could be with them.

Strong points to reach

• Empathy statements should be brief and genuine, not scripted.
• You do not need to provide answers to be helpful.
• Knowing what you cannot do, such as give advice about decisions, shows maturity.

Common traps

• Filling the silence with reassurance such as "it will be fine".
• Moving too fast to logistics.

Scenario 2: The relative who is furious

Prompt

You are a student helping at a front desk when a man arrives, loudly angry that his mother has waited hours and nobody has told him anything. He raises his voice and says staff do not care. You cannot change the waiting time and do not have clinical details.

What the station is probing

How you de-escalate, stay respectful and stay within your role.

A framework to think it through

• Stay calm: lower your voice, keep open body language and move somewhere quieter if safe.
• Listen without interrupting and let the anger be heard.
• Acknowledge the frustration without admitting fault you do not know about.
• Explain honestly what you can and cannot do.
• Act: bring in the person who can give updates, and follow up that they come.

Strong points to reach

• Anger often comes from fear and feeling unheard.
• Honesty about limits builds more trust than empty promises.
• Personal safety matters, and calling for help is appropriate if the situation worsens.

Common traps

• Becoming defensive or explaining policy too early.
• Promising a time you cannot guarantee.

Scenario 3: The seven-year-old and the needle

Prompt

A seven-year-old child is anxious about an injection and keeps asking, "Will it hurt?" A parent hovers nearby. A nurse asks you to explain what will happen in a way the child can understand while she prepares.

What the station is probing

Your ability to adapt language, stay honest and include the family.

A framework to think it through

• Greet the child at their eye level and use their name.
• Ask what they already think will happen.
• Explain in simple, concrete steps, with honest words such as "a quick pinch".
• Offer choices that give control, such as which arm or what to look at.
• Check understanding, and include the parent without talking over the child.

Strong points to reach

• Honesty respects the child; saying "it will not hurt at all" can damage trust.
• Distraction and choice are useful and not manipulation.
• Feelings should be acknowledged, not dismissed.

Common traps

• Using jargon or baby talk.
• Speaking only to the parent.

Scenario 4: Through an interpreter

Prompt

You are observing a consultation where a patient speaks little English and a professional interpreter joins by phone. The doctor briefly steps out. The patient's adult daughter, who is in the room, offers to "just translate" the rest because the call keeps dropping. She says it is quicker.

What the station is probing

Whether you understand why accurate communication and professional interpreting matter.

A framework to think it through

• Identify the risk: errors, missing information and the patient's privacy.
• Consider the patient's wishes and whether they feel free to speak.
• Remember your role: a student should not make this decision alone.
• Act: pause the conversation and ask the doctor or nurse to reconnect the interpreter or arrange another.
• Be warm to the daughter, and thank her for wanting to help.

Strong points to reach

• Family members may be well meaning, but may filter or soften information.
• The patient should be able to speak candidly, particularly about sensitive matters.
• Speaking directly to the patient, not the interpreter, keeps the relationship intact.

Common traps

• Dismissing the daughter's offer without kindness.
• Carrying on with a half-understood consultation.

Scenario 5: A colleague who is slipping

Prompt

In a student group project, a teammate who used to be reliable has missed several deadlines and seems exhausted and withdrawn. Others are getting annoyed and talking about leaving them out. You are the person most trusted by the teammate.

What the station is probing

Your care for a struggling peer, balanced with responsibility to the group.

A framework to think it through

• Notice the change and avoid assuming the cause.
• Choose a private moment and ask in a caring, non-judgemental way.
• Listen, and offer support options such as university wellbeing services.
• Be honest about the group's needs and look for a fair, realistic plan.
• Know the limits: seek advice if you are worried about their safety.

Strong points to reach

• Curiosity comes before judgement.
• Confidentiality should be respected, with the exception of serious risk.
• Supporting someone does not mean covering up work unfairly.

Common traps

• Gossiping with the others about the cause.
• Taking on all the problem yourself rather than pointing to support.

Scenario 6: Feedback that lands

Prompt

You are a student peer-reviewing a classmate's presentation for a shared assignment. It is well researched but they speak too quickly and read from their notes. They are proud of the work and ask, "What did you think? Be honest."

What the station is probing

Whether you can give honest, constructive feedback respectfully.

A framework to think it through

• Ask what they were aiming for and how they felt it went.
• Start with specific strengths that you actually observed.
• Raise one or two key improvements and give examples.
• Offer a concrete suggestion for next time.
• Invite their response and check how it felt to hear.

Strong points to reach

• Specific and behaviour-focused comments work better than general praise or criticism.
• Honesty and kindness are not opposites.
• Feedback is a conversation, not a verdict.

Common traps

• Hiding the real concern in vague praise.
• Listing every flaw at once.

Scenario 7: "I am not changing"

Prompt

In a role-play, you are a student speaking with an adult who has been advised to see a specialist about a worrying symptom. They say firmly, "I have heard it all before. I am not going." They seem tired, not hostile.

What the station is probing

How you respect autonomy while still caring about the person's wellbeing.

A framework to think it through

• Explore: ask what is behind the refusal, such as fear, cost, past experience or time.
• Check their understanding of the concern and the possible risks.
• Respect their right to decide and avoid pressure.
• Offer information and options that might fit their situation, and leave the door open.
• Involve a senior clinician and record the conversation appropriately.

Strong points to reach

• An informed person can make a choice you would not make yourself.
• Understanding the reason often reveals something fixable.
• Ending warmly, with a way to come back, keeps the relationship alive.

Common traps

• Arguing or repeating the same warning more forcefully.
• Giving up too quickly because it feels uncomfortable.

Scenario 8: Just listening

Prompt

A friend tells you, over coffee, that they are struggling to keep up with study and "everything feels like too much." Your instinct is to jump in with advice. You have five minutes of the station to show how you would respond.

What the station is probing

Active listening and your ability to respond to emotion before solving problems.

A framework to think it through

• Give full attention: put the phone away, face them and keep eye contact comfortable.
• Use open questions and short prompts such as "tell me more".
• Reflect back what you hear in your own words.
• Ask directly about how they are coping, including safety if you are worried.
• Together, identify one small next step and available supports.

Strong points to reach

• Listening is an active skill that shows respect.
• Asking about wellbeing directly is caring, not harmful.
• Knowing when to suggest a professional or another trusted person is important.

Common traps

• Telling your own story instead of theirs.
• Solving the problem before understanding it.

Scenario 9: The mix-up over the roster

Prompt

Two team members on a placement each believe the other is covering a task on Friday, and neither turns up. Afterwards, both are upset and blaming one another in front of you. A supervisor is not present. You get on with both.

What the station is probing

How you help repair a misunderstanding between others without taking sides.

A framework to think it through

• Slow things down and speak with each person separately if possible.
• Clarify facts and what each person understood.
• Separate the people from the problem and acknowledge both frustrations.
• Bring them together to agree on a clearer process, such as written confirmation.
• Inform the supervisor if there was any effect on patients or tasks.

Strong points to reach

• Most conflicts involve unclear communication more than bad intent.
• Staying neutral builds trust with both people.
• Small process fixes prevent repeats.

Common traps

• Siding with the friend you like more.
• Hiding the problem from a supervisor when it had consequences.

Scenario 10: Helping someone change a habit

Prompt

A relative of yours spends most evenings on the couch and has said they would like to be more active but "never get around to it." You have a short conversation with them as a role-play. They are open but unsure where to begin.

What the station is probing

Whether you can encourage change without lecturing, using their own motivation.

A framework to think it through

• Ask what matters to them and why they want to change.
• Explore how confident they feel, and what has got in the way before.
• Help them pick a small, specific, realistic first step.
• Agree how they will know it is working and who could support them.
• Offer to check in later, and accept that setbacks are normal.

Strong points to reach

• People change when the reasons are their own, not yours.
• Small steps build confidence.
• Non-judgemental follow-up helps more than pressure.

Common traps

• Delivering a long speech about health risks.
• Setting a goal that is too big to sustain.

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