Truro School's MMI event is a success

This is a form of interviewing technique that is used in a broad range of healthcare professions and normally consists of a two-hour circuit with ten different stations.

A team of three different medical professionals alongside Truro School’s Medics, Dentists and Vets Coordinator, Sarah Finnegan, ran the event. Professor Rod Taylor, Junior Doctor Alex Maidwell-Smith and final year medical student Chris Johnston ran three of the interview sections including hot topics on ethical discussions and issues.

Mr Oldfield, the School’s Director of Drama, has previously acted on professional multiple mini-interview stations and trained up the Sixth Form drama students to be able to act on some of the stations. These are designed to test the student’s ability to deal with patients and to develop the skills that will be needed to overcome situations that they might face in the workplace.

Speaking about the workshop, Miss Finnegan said,

“The purpose of these interviews is to see if the students have the type of skills that are needed to interact with patients. This is exactly the sort of thing that they will face at future interviews. It’s about bringing those who are nervous about the verbal elements of applications out of their shells and preparing them for interviews and the working world. ”

She continued,

“We are very fortunate that Professor Taylor is involved with the interview process at Exeter University.”

Some of the students that took part in the event said,

“It gave me a real-life experience of the kind of situations I might face in an interview situation rather than just imagining it in my head.”

“An inspiring look at what’s ahead”

As part of the Medics, Dentists and Vets Programme, students who are hoping to study these courses at university are invited to take part in workshops such as these to develop their understanding of the industry. As well as this, the school also offers a series of seminars with healthcare professionals and business lunches for students to be able to network and ask for advice in an informal setting.

Miss Finnegan is hoping to expand the school’s workshop initiative and plans to hold another multiple mini-interview station for the Upper Sixth in October, just after university applications have been submitted.