It can be really difficult to know what to read and in how much detail – our best advice would be to read what you are interested in! When answering questions, your passion and enthusiasm for the subject will be far more obvious when you are talking about a topic you are genuinely interested in.
There are some topics that are helpful to know about as these are often examined, including the structure of the NHS, different roles in the multidisciplinary team, current affairs and medical ethics. Having a baseline understanding of these topics is important in giving you a solid foundation for answering more complex questions. The NHS website and the King’s Fund website are great places to find out about these topics. They have accessible articles, videos, podcasts and print outs that concisely explain these complicated topics! Keeping up with current affairs can seem unmanageable but reading a few news articles everyday breaks this up into manageable sizes. An easy way to fit this into your day might be to read a news app on your commute or when waiting for the kettle to boil! We would recommend using an app with fairly central views, such as the BBC, so the information you’re getting is as unbiased as possible.
The interviewers are not expecting you to have a vast knowledge of everything, but they will expect you have good insight into a medical career. This means you should know a little about the NHS and how it works, a doctor’s role in the MDT and the challenges that may face medical professionals. It is also very important that you are familiar with your personal statement and anything you mention in it. If there is a book you have mentioned, make sure you have read this and have reflected on what you learnt from it, or if there is a medical condition you have talked about, knowing a little about this is key!
Some medical schools may ask you about your BMAT essay in their exams (for example, UCL sometimes does this) so have a think about your BMAT essay and other things you may have wanted to add. If you haven’t sat your BMAT yet, it might be helpful to jot down the main points of your BMAT essay to jog your memory before your interview.
Depending on what interview you are preparing for, make sure you read about the medical school itself. Have a read into things like the teaching style, whether there is an intercalated degree and the facilities on offer. Having a specific knowledge of the medical school will be really impressive at interview – this shows that you have done your research and are passionate about studying there!
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In summary, read what you enjoy! But make sure you have a working knowledge of the NHS, the role of a doctor & MDT and your medical school, along with anything you have written about in your personal statement.