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Advice & Insight From Interview Specialists
A common method that the University of Birmingham use to assess your knowledge of the medical school as well as your communication skills are through a role play where they may ask you to talk to a medical student who is studying at Birmingham already. This may seem like an odd roleplay question, but it really is an opportunity for you to showcase your conversation skills as well as your knowledge of the university in one.
Here are some features of the course that you should mention:
Birmingham is known to include at least 2 calculation stations in their interviews as basic mathematical skills are key for life as a medical student and doctor. Don’t get too worried about this though – the maths will not be as high as A Level standard but more suited to around GCSE level. There will be some drug calculations so do try to practice some before your interview so that you are familiar with the quick calculations you may have to do as you are given the same amount of time as all your other MMI stations which is around 6-7 minutes. Be aware that the score you get contributes to your overall interview score.
Medical schools are increasingly focusing on the importance of holistic care, Birmingham included. The best way to tackle this question is to talk about a scenario you have seen when you were on your work experience or volunteering. Examples could include:
To really improve your answer in this type of work experience reflection questions, include how you have been able to implement things you have learnt from your work experience in your own day-to-day life. For example, you may have seen excellent delegation skills within an MDT on your work experience which could have inspired you to implement similar measures in your role as captain in the football team! There are many examples you could include, so ensure you always reflect and try to include these in your various roles in school/clubs.
Before any medical school interview, you should be fully prepared with knowledge about current medical topics and debates, even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. Birmingham often includes this station in their MMIs so ensure that you are able to have logical and coherent arguments for and against the topic they give you. Even if you are not and expert in that particular field, they will be looking for a clear flow and structure to your answer.
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