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?  

Got a med school interview for 2019 entry? Book a space on our Interview Course!

Looking for example questions? See over 100 medical school interview questions and answer guides in our FREE Interview Question Bank>>

Looking for 2019 entry interview tips?

• When Do Medicine Interview Offers Come Out? -find out when med schools send their invites
• Medicine Interview Preparation – see which topics you can expect at each medical school
• Medicine Interview Tips – read specific tips for each medical school, written by current students

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
4. NHS hot topics
5. Creativity and imagination
6. Medical ethics
7. Empathy
8. Personal insight
9. Teamwork
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.

READ NEXT ➜ Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)

Learn More  

• MMI
• Oxbridge
• Ethical Scenarios
• Quiz: Medical Ethics
• NHS Hot Topics 2018-19
• Medicine Interview Top Tips

Find out more about The Medic Portal and how we support students with their med school interview on our About Us page>>