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At every Medical School interview, you’re expected to have some knowledge of current news and hot topics in the world of Medicine. Even if you aren’t directly asked about them, you can use this knowledge in your answers to a lot of common interview questions to show interviewers that you know what you are talking about.
Since it is likely that you will be working in the National Health Service (NHS) after completing the medical degree, the interviewers will want to see that you have done some research and know what you are getting yourself into.
You can start by looking into the NHS constitution. Within the constitution, there are seven principles which are deemed to be the core values of the NHS. Some universities may test you on your understanding of these values.
Then, make sure you have read all about NHS Hot Topics. If you want to give your wider reading a boost, check out our Science Hot Topics too. In the run-up to your interview, keep up-to-date with current medical news via, for example, the Health section of the BBC News website.
In your Medical School interview, there is a high chance that you will be tested on your understanding of medical ethics.
After you have familiarised yourself with the four pillars of ethics, read plenty of medical case studies. Then, to prepare for your interview, it’s a good idea to practise discussing these case studies.
If you know other candidates who are applying to study Medicine, consider creating a group where you meet to have ethical discussions and debates once a week. Taking part in such discussions will allow everyone to gain new ideas and perspectives, helping you to reach more balanced ethical arguments in an interview scenario.
Think about the work experience, volunteering and extracurricular activities that you have done in the lead-up to your Medical School application. Interviewers will be observing how you can reflect on your experiences. Remember that what you have learned is more important than what you actually did.
Take time to think about the skills you have gained from your experiences, and how they have been beneficial to you in terms of pursuing Medicine. Some key skills for medical students and Doctors are communication, teamwork, leadership and time management – how have you developed these skills and when did you see these skills in action during your work experience/volunteering?
When you’re talking about skills, always relate them back to Medicine. By making these links early on in your preparation, you’ll be able to speak more naturally about each skill in your real interview.
By now, you should have submitted your Personal Statement and probably feel comfortable writing about why you want to do Medicine. However, speaking about it aloud is completely different, and will require a lot of practice if it doesn’t come naturally to you.
Don’t just practise answering questions in your head – speak your answers aloud to make sure you can be articulate and concise. You shouldn’t practise to a point where your answers seem too rehearsed or robotic during your interview, but you need to get used to speaking about common interview topics.
It might be a good idea to record yourself and listen back, or you could practise with someone like a friend, family member or teacher. You might also want to arrange a mock interview so that you can get some expert feedback.
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