What is the difference between a panel interview and multiple mini interview?

Dependent on the university you're interviewing at, you will either have a panel or MMI style interview. A panel interview is more traditional, in the sense that it consists of several interviewers that are more likely to ask the typical, anticipated questions such as "Why do you want to study medicine?". Also, panel interviews are usually around half an hour. A multiple mini interview is a slightly newer approach where there a certain number of stations each having it's own theme e.g. one could be assessing your communication skills, whereas another could be assessing your understanding of medical ethics. Each station will have a different assessor/interviewer and usually each one will last for about 5-10 mins. However, the theme, length and number of stations depends on the univeristy. So it's always worthwhile researching what type of interview to expect as well as the format, if that information is available. As this will shape the topics or skills that you may want to focus on during your practice/preparation period, e.g. if there is a station on roles and responsibilities of a doctor, you may want to read the GMC's "Good Medical Practice" or if there is a station involving a debate or discussion about a controversial topic, you may want to practice coming up with pros and cons regarding a hot topic.