What Are the Interviews for Medical School?

In the UK, applying to medical school is very competitive, with approximately 3.9 applicants for every one space.

Are you a Medicine applicant who is hoping to secure a spot at your dream medical school?

Then, maybe you need some advice on how to nail your medical school interviews. This is your valuable opportunity to convince the university admissions teams why you deserve a place on their Medicine degree programme.

But what are the interviews for medical school and how do you prepare for them?

We will outline our best tips in this article to help you ace your next medical school interview.

It is perfectly normal to feel nervous about sitting in front of an interview panel, however, remember that your application has already impressed the recruiters so far. As long as you go in prepared, and feeling confident about your skills, you will be absolutely fine!

What are the interviews for medical school?

So, exactly what are the interviews for medical school?

A medical school interview is the next stage of the medical school admissions process, following the Personal Statement and the UCAT test. It is a process for recruiters to shortlist the best candidates to offer a place on their Medicine programme.

You will be invited to the university campus, where you will meet some of the staff who work in the Medicine department. In some cases, your medical school interview may take place online.

You will be told the date, time, location and format of your interview in your ‘invitation to interview’ email or letter.

Medical school interviews are usually held between November and March, to join the Medicine programme the following September. Some universities such as (the University of Oxford) may ask you to take additional tests, alongside your medical school interview.

During your interview, the interviewers will ask you a series of questions, to assess your capability for Medicine, your motivation for studying the course, and how it relates to your future ambitions.

You will have a short time to give a good impression, so appearing and conducting yourself professionally, whilst showing your aptitude and passion for medicine is vital for you to get the result you want.

You will have the opportunity to ask any questions at the end of the interview, so use this wisely.                                    

What is an MMI interview for medical school?

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) is another type of interview stage, which universities use to shortlist candidates for their Medicine courses.

This is a group assessment, where a select number of Medicine applicants are invited to attend. The interview process usually takes around 2 hours.

Each university will have its own style of hosting the group assessment, so the process will vary between universities.

The assessment consists of 5 to 12 ‘stations’, which candidates rotate between. The topics of these stations could be anything from problem-solving and ethical dilemmas to data interpretation and role-play.

Each station lasts between 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the university. Also, each station has one central component, theme or scenario that candidates are tested on.

At each station, interviewers pose questions, and candidates are given 2 minutes of thinking time. They will have around 8 minutes to answer the questions.

The MMI is a chance for applicants to come up with thoughtful answers, work positively with others, and stand out from the crowd. This allows the university recruiters to get a better insight into how the applicants work under pressure and in a team.