How I Stood Out At My University of Leicester Interview

I Researched Leicester And Their Medical Contributions

The University of Leicester’s medical degree is integrated, and it’s important to understand what this means. Leicester also offers full-body dissection and give their students iPads, which only a very few universities do, and so would be worth mentioning.

It’s also important to look at Leicester’s contribution to Medicine. For example, the technique of genetic fingerprinting was developed at the University of Leicester and mentioning this at your interview shows your research and passion about studying at Leicester.

I Read GMC’s Good Medical Practice

You may have already done this to help with your UCAT Situational Judgement, but it also comes in handy for interviews too. If you’re not familiar with the GMC’s Good Medical Practice, it is essentially a guide which clearly outlines the values and behaviours expected from registered Doctors.

Leicester often asks applicants to assess consultation skills and so it useful to know what is involved in medical practice to help explain your answers. You do not need to be able to memorise it or quote it word for word! But, just have an idea of the qualities needed for a good consultation.

I Practised The Preparation Station

Leicester usually asks applicants to prepare something before their interview to talk about at one of their stations. This is your time to shine! If you go into your interview comfortable with this, it is one less station to get anxious about.

Practice this as many times as you can and get the timing right, making sure you talk about everything that you wanted to talk about. Usually, interview preparation involves showing off your personality a bit and this a great opportunity to make you stand out from the crowd. It may feel strange practising this in front of people but trust me it will help you on the day.

I Sorted My Motivation Question

As with most MMIs, interviewers want to see why you specifically want to study Medicine and if you have the commitment to become a Doctor. This motivation question is bound to come up with whatever interview or university you go to and it is a way to show that you are prepared for it by having a good answer.

For me personally, it was hard to first to come with an answer explaining all my reasons. So, what I did was made a few bullets points of my key points and memorised that. Do not memorise your whole answer – you will come off sounding over-rehearsed, besides, it would take a lot of time and effort.

Try not to have the typical cliché answers and try to really explore your motivation why. What Leicester wants to hear is that you have given this decision good consideration and that you know both the good and bad sides of what a medical degree involves. 

I Was Empthatic To Actors

Role play stations really do test a lot! Everything from your communication, empathy, patience, leadership and maybe even teamwork skills. So yes, it can be intense! It may seem daunting at first, particularly if the scenario is unfamiliar.

However, no matter what the scenario is that you find yourself in, it is important to first be empathetic. Try to get the actor to speak as much as they can so you learn everything you need to know about the scenario. If you are stuck on how to start, introduce yourself first, perhaps ask what their name is, tell them that you will have a chat and then ask if this is okay with them. Remember to have confidence, you have got this!