It’s likely that the Medical School will ask why you applied there, so make sure you know your reasons and have a good answer for this.
Is the course integrated or traditional? And what teaching style does the Medical School use? Make sure you have this knowledge because it shows you’ve done your research.
It’s good to know how anatomy is taught at the Medical School, because it can vary. Some use full-body dissection, while others use prosection. Do you know the difference?
What is unique about the course at this particular Medical School and why did these features encourage you to apply there? Thinking about this will help you to answer Knowledge of Med School questions.
Clinical placements will be a big part of your medical degree. Do you know where these will be based?
Don’t just research the medical course – look at the university in general and find out if there are any societies that appeal to you. Medical Schools are looking for candidates who can maintain a good work-life balance.
NHS hot topics are likely to come up in your interview, so make sure you have a good idea of what’s going on in the medical world.
Make sure you understand the four pillars of medical ethics (Beneficence, Non-maleficence, Autonomy, Justice) and can apply them to ethical scenarios.
In addition to the four pillars of ethics, the three Cs of confidentiality, capacity and consent are also important to understand. It’s essential knowledge for any medical professional.
Some of the key skills and qualities would be:
You should be able to provide examples for all of these.
The GMC’s Good Medical Practice document explains what it means to be a good Doctor and provides guidance on professional values and behaviour.
You know why you want to study Medicine and become a Doctor, but you need to be able to verbalise it when you’re answering motivation for Medicine questions.
Medical Schools like candidates to have other interests outside of Medicine, because these will help you to avoid burnout – so make sure you have something to talk about.
Is the Medical School likely to use your Personal Statement at interview? Refresh your memory of it, in case they ask you about something you wrote.
You will likely be asked about your work experience or volunteering during your interview, so you’ll need to have some key learning points and reflections ready to discuss.
Doctors are expected to be team players, so interviewers might ask you about a time you worked as part of a team. Do you have a teamwork example ready?
Reflective practice is essential in Medicine, so interview questions about your strengths and weaknesses are common. It’s important to show your suitability for Medicine but also to be honest. Don’t claim that you have no weaknesses!
Interviewers might ask you about your future plans for your career in Medicine. They don’t expect you to have a definitive answer, but it’s good to show that you have given your future some thought and understand the different pathways that are possible with a medical degree.
If you’re doing an MMI interview, you might face a role play station involving an actor. In this type of station, it’s vital that you stay calm, take your time and be patient, particularly if you’re breaking bad news.
Aside from the interview format, some Medical Schools will reveal certain details about the interview in advance, such as MMI station themes. Check that you’ve read your interview invite carefully, looked at the university website and haven’t missed any key details.
You can’t predict the exact questions that will come up in your interview, but it’s definitely worth familiarising yourself with the common types of questions that you could be asked. Go to our Interview Question Bank for over 100 practice questions.
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