Preparation
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More than preparing your statement, completing forms and getting LoRs, waiting to hear about interview invites is one of the most stressful steps in the entire medical school admissions process. Fortunately, there is a systematic strategy to stand out during medicine school interviews, just like there is for every other aspect of the application process.
Here, we will work through how to prepare step-by-step – as well as providing you with some sample medical school interview questions.
Medical schools might discover a great deal about you via your application documents, such as
Through your interview, medical schools hope to learn the following:
This should bring some factors in the medical school interview process to light:
You’ll be able to make the greatest effect on interview day after you reframe the interview as a chance to engage academics, students, and staff rather than as a presentation of your academic prowess.
The panel interview and the MMI are the two interview styles used by UK medical schools. Before your medicine interview preparation, research the programme or programmes you’ve applied to. Find out what interview forms they employ, and when they carry out interviews.
These interviews can be face-to-face, one-on-one, in-person, online, or with a panel of admissions board members. Expect them to last between 25-30 minutes. Many of the best schools in the UK still use the classic interview style, so getting ready for one means knowing the questions and the best ways to respond to them.
You can anticipate being asked, “tell us about yourself” and “why do you want to be a doctor” during a traditional medical school interview. Preparing for open-ended, ambiguous interview questions like these will save you time in the interview setting.
Due to its intricacy and length, the multiple mini interview (MMI) can be intimidating to potential medical students. MMIs typically take 90 minutes and are made up of 8 to 12 mini “stations” where applicants are questioned about various policy or ethical issues in the interview to see how they respond or handle the question.
Your success or failure depends on how you answer medical school interview questions during your MMI. Even at the same station, be prepared to answer several different questions. Prepare a strategy for each question and conduct mock interviews to practise answering them.
For MMIs, it’s crucial to practise and get ready for each sort of station, from mastering policy-related questions at one station to mastering the MMI acting stations scenario.
For your medicine interview preparation, we’ve compiled a thorough collection of our finest interview advice.
The best place to start is by learning how to prepare for medical school interviews. Make sure you know the distinctions between panel and MMI interviews and the specifics of each medical school’s interview schedule.
When tackling questions on your personal experiences, we advise using the STARR method for your medicine interview
For example, assume you’re the captain of your high school’s cricket team. The interviewer asks, “Can you give us examples of when you exhibited your leadership skills?”
In this condition, you can reply keeping in view the following example:
One way of demonstrating strengths without coming across as arrogant is to refer to others’ opinions of you. For example, you might state that, “My supervising consultant commented on my “excellent communication skills” during my last work experience placement, and he graciously relayed feedback that some of his patients had said I made them feel at ease on the ward. Therefore, I think my ability to communicate is one of my strongest qualities.”
The GMC’s documentation for doctors and medical students is must-read content. It covers how you will need to act in a range of different situations, from the mundane to the uncommon, and allows you to understand the attributes and values that will be crucial to maintaining professionalism as a doctor.
Even when doing a remote interview, first impressions are lasting. Dress as you would expect a doctor to dress. That typically means either a suit or smart shirt and chinos for males, or dark blouse and skirt for females.
If in a virtual interview, ensure that you still make an effort to convey positivity and confidence through your body language.
A few guidelines:
Scenarios are designed to provoke thought, rather than have a firm answer. Take time to think, and if needed even state, ‘Can I have a second to formulate my response?’ A strong, efficient answer after a five second pause is far superior to a rambling answer delivered immediately.
Even though interviews are the last step in the application process, they can make or break your chances of getting accepted, regardless of your academics and previous experience.
While preparing for each interview, avoid creating a full script that you then repeat verbatim. Instead, cover key points for answers for the main questions, and ensure that you can navigate through these points in a natural way.
Don’t state that you are hardworking, for example – rather, evidence it. ‘Taking on a volunteering role of four hours per week, as well as caring for my grandmother whilst sitting my AS levels, meant that I had little time to myself. However, I believe it evidences my ability to push myself, my resilience, and my unwillingness to back down in the face of difficulty.’
Have questions ready that show a genuine interest in the course and university. Ideally they should stem from research done on the website or through students there, and show a desire to learn more beyond this first line of information.
There are mainly 5 criteria on which you will be evaluated. These are