Traditional Medicine Interviews

Traditional medicine interviews can be quite intimidating: it’s just you and a panel.

Despite a recent shift towards Multi Mini Interviews (MMI), many universities still rely on the traditional interview format. And even in MMI circuits, the traditional skills set still plays a vital part.

This page answers the following questions about traditional interviews:

• What are the common questions at traditional Medicine interviews?
• How can I prepare for traditional Medicine interviews?  

What Are The Common Questions At Traditional Medicine Interviews?

We’ve broken down the ten most commonly occurring themes that feature in traditional medical school interviews. We call this ‘The Golden Prep Sheet’:

1. Background and motivation for studying medicine
2. Depth and breadth of interest
3. Knowledge of the medical school and curriculum
4. NHS ‘Hot Topics’
5. Creativity and imagination
6. Ethics
7. Empathy
8. Personal insight
9. Team working
10. Work experience

Want to know the kinds of questions you might be asked in your interview – and how to answer them? Our FREE Interview Question Bank covers all of these topics, and has over 100 detailed answer guides to help you prepare for your interview.

How Can I Prepare For Traditional Medicine Interviews?

We recommend the following four-step preparation method for traditional Medicine interviews:

1. Select one of the themes above
2. Note down 3-4 examples for that theme
3. Try to apply to practice questions on that theme
4. Compare and contrast with guide answer

Do not prepare full answers to recite, or you will sound robotic. Instead, focus on the theme in a flexible way.

Learn More  

• MMI
• Oxbridge
• Ethical Scenarios
• Quiz: Medical Ethics
• NHS Hot Topics 2017
• Medicine Interview Top Tips