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Giving great answers

Discover what questions are really testing—and learn how to structure and deliver impactful responses.
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Your interviewer will ask questions and present scenarios that require concise, relevant, and genuine responses.

Some questions may be tricky or unexpected, but you can answer these effectively by bearing in mind four golden rules.

Image of three interconnected triangles with the title 'Practical Steps for Interview Success' at the top. The top inverted blue triangle is labeled 'Start early' with an icon of a calendar and text 'Begin preparing when you first apply or when you receive your invitation.' The bottom left purple triangle is labeled 'Research' with an icon of a magnifying glass and text 'Read about the medical school’s programme and review your application and personal statement.' The bottom right green triangle is labeled 'Create a preparation schedule' with an icon of a checklist and text 'Organise and plan your preparation in advance.' © Medify is noted at the bottom.

Remember, effective responses will have a coherent structure with a beginning, middle, and end.

What you say and how you say it are important factors for giving great answers.

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Delivering impactful and meaningful responses is the key to a successful interview. Interviewers will quickly form a first impression of you.

Review some key dos and don’ts for giving great answers. These can help you to plan and structure your responses effectively.

A painting of a person with curly hair and earrings, wearing a yellow shirt, sitting at a table. The person is holding a pen and looking thoughtfully out of the frame, with papers and a book on the table. The background is a green wall with a lighter green area suggesting sunlight.
Do
  • Research selection criteria
  • Focus on key skills and experiences
  • Practise timed responses
  • Give concise, relevant answers
  • Maintain good posture and positive body language
  • Articulate well
  • Prepare some closing questions for your interviewer
A painting of a person with light hair sitting at a desk, resting their head in their hands in a gesture of stress or contemplation. The background is a deep red, and the table is cluttered with books and papers. The lighting is dramatic, highlighting the person's hair and arms.
Don't
  • Focus too much on conflicting advice, biases or anecdotes
  • Panic when faced with surprising or challenging questions
  • Nervously overtalk
  • Speak too quickly
  • Over-rehearse your responses and lose natural flow
  • Lie or exaggerate
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Your interview is an opportunity to showcase your personality and demonstrate why you’d make a good doctor.

Prepare by reviewing common questions and considering your responses. This can help you manage anxiety and feel more confident going in.

The image is titled 'PREPARATION CHECKLIST' and features an illustration of a person wearing a blue headscarf and blue top, writing on paper with a laptop in front of them. Below the illustration is a checklist with the following items: 1) Learn more about yourself: Review your personal statement and consider your strengths, weaknesses and key experiences. 2) Learn more about medicine: Reflect on what your experiences and research have taught you about the profession. 3) Learn more about the medical school: Find out about their programme and note down some key points about the curriculum. 4) Practise answering common questions: Draft your responses and practise giving answers. 5) Practise delivering timed responses: Time yourself and aim to stay within the interview timescale. 6) Do mock interviews with family, friends or healthcare professionals: Gather feedback that you can take forward for your interview. 7) Look after yourself: Eat well, exercise regularly and do things you enjoy. These simple steps can ease stress and boost your well-being. At the bottom is the copyright © Medify.
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Your answers should showcase your best qualities while being concise and to the point.

By considering the aptitudes of a good doctor, you can ensure that your responses highlight how your personal attributes and skills match those of medical professionals.

A chart titled 'Attributes and Skills' divided into two columns: 'Personal attributes' and 'Skills'. Under 'Personal attributes', there are six items: 'Empathy' with a pink ribbon icon, 'Integrity' with a red shield icon, 'Trustworthiness' with a green check mark icon, 'Resilience' with a blue shield icon, 'Ethically-minded' with a scales icon, 'Self-confidence (without arrogance)' with a smiling face icon, and 'Drive for continual development and improvement' with a target icon. Under 'Skills', there are six items: 'Verbal and written communication' with a speech bubble icon, 'Teamwork and collaboration' with a group of people icon, 'Problem-solving' with puzzle pieces icon, 'Attention to detail' with a magnifying glass icon, 'Leadership' with a star icon, and 'Organisation and time management' with a stopwatch icon. At the bottom, the text '© Medify' is displayed.
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An educational diagram titled 'Providing Structured Responses'. It features two columns and two speech bubbles. The left column is labeled 'PEE' with vertical text: 'Point', 'Evidence', 'Explain'. The right column is labeled 'STARR' with vertical text: 'Situation', 'Task', 'Action', 'Result', 'Reflect'. An orange speech bubble labeled 'for direct questions' points to 'PEE'. A purple speech bubble labeled 'for indirect questions and prompts' points to 'STARR'. The bottom center has a copyright symbol followed by 'Medify'.

The PEE method can be used for direct questions, like:

  • “What are your greatest strengths?”
  • “Why do you want to study at this university?”
    You can always repeat the PEE method within your response if you have multiple points to discuss.

The STARR method can be used for indirect questions and prompts, such as:

  • “Describe a recent situation that shows your ability to lead.”
  • “Tell me about a time you went above and beyond what was expected of you.”
  • “Tell us about a time you had to apologise.”
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The time leading up to an interview can be incredibly stressful.

Consider some simple dos and don’ts. These are quick tips that can reduce interview worries by helping you feel well prepared. You can use these as pointers to formulate effective responses and improve your interview experience.

A painting of two individuals sitting across from each other at a table. The person on the right, a young man with curly hair, is wearing a white shirt and looking attentively towards the other person. The person on the left, seen from behind, appears to be an older individual with grey hair, wearing a dark suit. The background is a solid light green color, and the table is depicted in a warm brown tone, with visible brushstrokes indicative of a painted texture.
Do
  • Provide direct, concise responses
  • Speak clearly and calmly
  • Be prepared to talk about relevant experiences and how these highlight your key skills and attributes
  • Use ‘PEE’ and ‘STARR’
  • Showcase your personality
  • Actively listen to your interviewer
  • Ask questions where appropriate
A painting of two people sitting across from each other at a table. One person on the left is holding their head in their hands, appearing distressed. The person on the right is leaning forward, partially obscured. The background is a dark red, adding to the dramatic atmosphere.
Don't
  • Overshare or lose your point with lots of tangents
  • Memorise responses – this can feel too robotic
  • Exaggerate or be untruthful – integrity is important
  • Rush your answers
  • Forget to listen – good communication also involves active listening
  • Forget to be yourself
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Question walkthrough

Using the PEE method in an interview

Let’s explore how you can utilise the PEE method to give great answers in your interview.

Question walkthrough

Using the STARR method in an interview

Let’s explore how you can utilise the STARR method to give great answers in your interview.

Medical school interview questions can cover a range of topics to ascertain whether you’d make a good doctor one day.

The image titled 'Key Interview Topics' contains six speech bubbles with icons and text. The orange bubble with a stethoscope icon says 'Work experiences'. The green bubble with a document and quill icon says 'Personal attributes'. The blue bubble with a sun and leaves icon says 'Extra-curricular activities'. The purple bubble with a scales icon says 'Ethical standards'. The brown bubble with a compass icon says 'Reasons for applying'. The red bubble with a microscope icon says 'Understanding of medical science and the medical profession'. The bottom of the image is labeled with '© Medify'.

Prepare by noting down your key skills, attributes, and experiences, and consider how these demonstrate that you’d make a good doctor. A big mind map can be a good way to do this, ask friends and family what they think too. This self-awareness will help you tackle questions on any topic.

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All interview questions have been designed to answer the fundamental question: “Would the candidate in front of me make a competent doctor in the future?”

Interview questions will focus on drawing out essential traits, like key aptitudes, ambitions, values, and sensibilities.

Click here to read about essential traits

Consider your own experiences and how they demonstrate that you possess these seven essential traits. Jot down a list of examples where you have exhibited each of the essential traits, reference these in your responses.

Record your own responses and put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. You can score your answers based on how well you evidenced these key traits. Ultimately, this is what interviewers will do during your interview.

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Question walkthrough

Demonstrating key traits in your answers

Let’s explore how you can incorporate key traits into your interview responses.

A brainstorm box can be a useful tool for forming a shortlist of experiences, personal attributes, and transferable skills that best demonstrate why you’d make a good doctor.

Develop a brainstorm box by asking your peers and family what they like about you, what’s most impressive, and to give some examples of your key traits in action.

You can alsor eflect on these areas yourself and fill a page with everything you would want an interviewer to know about you. It can be helpful to consider what makes you unique, what you’ve done that makes you proud, overcoming your biggest challenge, and factors that make you a strong applicant.

Aim to complete your brainstorm box within 30 minutes.

An illustration titled 'Brainstorm Box' featuring an open cardboard box with a brain inside at the bottom. Four curved arrows emanate from the box, each labeled: 'Feedback from friends, family and teachers,' 'Skills and attributes,' 'Academic and non-academic achievements,' and 'Work and volunteer experiences.' Above the box is a stopwatch showing 0 to 30 seconds, with the section from 0 to about 10 seconds shaded in red. The bottom of the image has a © Medify mark.

Once you’ve developed your brainstorm box, choose five top items. These should be the key things you’d want interviewers to know about you, write these down and keep them in mind while preparing for your interview.

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Review your brainstorm box and reflect on your top experiences in three key stages:

  1. The experience itself
  2. Implications of the experience
  3. What this means for the future

Ask yourself three simple questions: ‘What?’, ‘So what?’, and ‘Now what?’. This can help you to reflect on the top items from your brainstorm box.

The image is titled 'BRAINSTORM BOX REFLECTION' and contains a table with two columns labeled 'Question' and 'Explanation'. The table has three rows with the following content: Row 1 - Question: 'What?'; Explanation: '• Describe the situation, experience or trait • Identify facts and feelings • Give details of your role and any related goals • Describe the outcomes or consequences for yourself and others'. Row 2 - Question: 'So what?'; Explanation: '• Explain why this is important • Outline the positive qualities this demonstrates in you • Describe what you learnt from the experience and how this relates to being a good doctor'. Row 3 - Question: 'Now what?'; Explanation: '• Describe what you could have done differently to achieve a more desirable outcome • Explain the improvements you would make if faced with a similar situation • Identify methods for understanding the situation better, e.g., reviewing relevant literature • Explain how you will sustain or make changes in your practice based on this experience'. The image is © Medify.

Reflecting on the top items in your brainstorm box allows you to link your experiences and abilities to a career in medicine. This will prepare you to give effective responses to a range of questions.

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Question walkthrough

Brainstorm box reflection in practice

Let’s explore how you can utilise your brainstorm box to prepare for your interview.

As your interview draws to a close, you’re likely to have an opportunity to ask the interviewer(s) something. This is your last opportunity to demonstrate your suitability, curiosity and interest for medicine and for the medical school you are interviewing at.

Make sure you have some questions ready. These can be based on your research or interests, or be used to make a connection with the interviewer.

The image is titled 'CLOSING QUESTION TOPICS' and features a layout with four blue squares, each containing a different topic and icon. The top left square is labeled 'Research' with an open book icon. The top right square is labeled 'Area of interest' with three yellow star icons. The bottom left square is labeled 'Personal connections' with a handshake icon. The bottom right square is labeled 'Medical students' with a stethoscope icon. In the center, there are four blue arrow symbols pointing inwards. The image is © Medify.

Think about these topics and create a list of potential closing questions, so that when the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” you are ready to make the most of this last chance to impress.

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Closing questions should demonstrate your commitment to medicine and the medical school you’re interviewing at.

Create a list of closing questions before your interview by considering relevant topics and examples based on your interests and experiences.

A table titled 'CLOSING QUESTIONS' with two columns: 'Topic' and 'Examples'. The table contains four rows. 1) 'Questions that show you have done your research' with examples: 'I heard that the current course structure might be revamped in the coming years. What might the revamp look like?' and 'Can you tell me more about research opportunities that might be available to students? How would I get involved?'. 2) 'Questions that show you are serious about your area of interest' with examples: 'You asked me about the biggest challenges facing our healthcare system and modern medicine. I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this?' and 'With advancing medical technologies, how do you see the field changing in the next decade or two?'. 3) 'Questions that make a personal connection' with examples: 'What did you enjoy most about studying medicine?', 'Is there anything you would do differently if you studied medicine now?' and 'What advice would you give to medics starting out?'. 4) 'Questions for medical student interviewers' with examples: 'Are you a member of any societies or teams? If so, what do you enjoy most about them?' and 'What is your favourite thing about studying medicine at this university?'. The table has a footer with © Medify.

Your closing questions should be specific and the answers not easily googled or found in the medical school’s prospectus. It’s okay if interviewers do not know the answer.

Home in on your interests and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Brainstorming strong closing questions in advance will help you leave a positive impression at the end of your interview.

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Interviews can be extremely stressful.

Reviewing common mistakes and gathering feedback from mock interviews beforehand can help you avoid common pitfalls.

The image consists of two parts. The top part features an illustration of two people sitting at a table in a red-toned setting. The bottom part contains a text box labeled 'Don't' with a list of advice to avoid common pitfalls: 'Wear inappropriate clothing, such as overly casual or uncomfortable attire; Be late and come unprepared; Display insecure body language, like fidgeting or sitting with your arms crossed; Display poor manners, like talking over your interviewer; Be too informal, for example by using slang or foul language or chewing gum; Let the pressure get to you and speak without thinking.' The text 'AVOID COMMON PITFALLS' is above the illustration. The image is credited to '© Medify'.
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You can steer clear of most interview pitfalls by planning in advance, doing your research, and maintaining professionalism.

Image titled 'Optimise Your Interview' featuring an illustration of two people in a professional setting. Below the image, a checklist provides tips for interview preparation: 1) Dress professionally: Wear something formal that makes you feel comfortable and confident. 2) Arrive early: Consider travel time and contingency plans in advance. Aim to arrive 30 minutes early. 3) Do your research: Learn more about the medical school and interviewers themselves. 4) Take a deep breath, relax and maintain an open posture. 5) Use your anxious energy for good: Boost focus and motivation by harnessing anxiety. 6) Be kind to yourself: Remind yourself that your application stood out and you deserve to be here. 7) Respect your interviewers: Actively listen and say, 'please' and 'thank you'. 8) Politely ask for clarity or for questions to be repeated. 9) Paraphrase questions in your answers: Stay on track by structuring responses and signposting effectively. 10) Deliver considered responses: Take a moment to gather your thoughts before answering. © Medify.

Remember these simple steps and trust the time and effort you’ve put into preparing for your interview.

You’ve got this.

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