The MMI literature provides useful recommendations for reliable and cost-efficient MMI designs, but some important aspects have not yet been fully explored. More theory-driven research is needed concerning dimensionality and construct validity, the predictive validity of MMIs other than those of McMaster University, the comparison of station types, and a cost-efficient station development process.

BackgroundMultiple mini-interviews (MMI) become increasingly popular for the selection of medical students. In this work, we examine the validity evidence for the Hamburg MMI.MethodsWe conducted three follow-up studies for the 2014 cohort of applicants to medical school over the course of two years. We calculated Spearman’s rank correlation (ρ) between MMI results and (1) emotional intelligence measured by the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF) and the Situational Test of Emotion Management (STEM), (2) supervisors’ and practice team members’ evaluations of psychosocial competencies and suitability for the medical profession after a one-week 1:1 teaching in a general practice (GP) and (3) objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores.ResultsThere were no significant correlations between MMI results and the TEIQue-SF (ρ = .07, p > .05) or the STEM (ρ = .05, p > .05). MMI results could significantly predict GP evaluations of psychosocial competencies (ρ = .32, p < .05) and suitability for the medical profession (ρ = .42, p < .01) as well as OSCE scores (ρ = .23, p < .05). The MMI remained a significant predictor of these outcomes in a robust regression model including gender and age as control variables.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that MMIs can measure competencies that are relevant in a practical context. However, these competencies do not seem to be related to emotional intelligence as measured by self-report or situational judgement test.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12909-018-1208-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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