The fundamentals
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The purpose of medical school interviews is to select the most suitable candidates for a career in medicine.
Future successful doctors will demonstrate:
- Passion for medicine
- Commitment to lifelong learning, medical research and service
- Resilience (will not burn out)
Interviewers want to select future doctors who will be successful in their role.
Be honest with yourself as you prepare for your interview. Sharing genuine discussions will pique interviewers’ interest and demonstrate your potential to thrive as a medical student and future doctor.
Interviewers evaluate candidates in three main ways. They’ll check that you’re committed to pursuing a career in medicine and assess your communication skills and stress response.
Review these criteria in more detail in the table below.
Medical school interviews have different formats and styles, depending on where you’re interviewing. Check your invitation letter to know what format to expect. You can also gather information from previous applicants or online forums.
Interviews vary in terms of the number of interviewers, level of disclosure (i.e., what interviewers know about you and your application before meeting you) and how questions are presented.
Regardless of the type of interview, you can be asked a mixture of open- and closed-ended questions.
Open-ended questions prompt more extensive responses, whereas closed-ended questions typically warrant ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. Asking if you can provide further information for closed-ended questions is appropriate and shows confidence.
Medical and dental school interviews are typically conducted in one of three formats; either one-to-one, panel or MMIs. Some universities use a mixed format, which combines different formats, often at different interview stages.
MMIs are the most common format in the UK. No UK university uses purely one-to-one interviews for undergraduate entry, so we’ll focus on MMIs and panel interviews.
Always double-check the format for the university you are interviewing at, as changes can be made to the interview process each year.
The style of questioning and what the interviewers know about you beforehand (i.e., disclosure) varies between universities.
Interview questions and scenarios are usually presented via one of two styles:
- Structured/directed: Questions are delivered in an organised, predetermined manner. The interview is meticulously scheduled with lots of closed-ended questions and timed responses.
- Unstructured/conversational: Questions do not follow a set order and there is no specific timeframe. Typically, these are open interviews with lots of open-ended questions. The conversation flows organically based on your responses.
Stress interviews place interviewees under psychological pressure, through, for example, a range of quick-fire questions. This approach can arise with both structured and unstructured styles.
In terms of disclosure, any interview format can be:
- Open: Interviewers can access anything in your application
- Closed: Interviewers do not know what is in your application
- Semi: Interviewers have access to some information from your application
Your interview may feature a variety of formats and styles, so it’s important to be aware of these and prepare yourself to adapt well on the day.
Familiarise yourself with the practical differences between interview formats. Knowing how each format works, the timescale and number of interviewers you will face, can help you develop realistic scenarios to practise with.
All interview formats address similar topics and base knowledge, so your preparation for the content of your interview will be similar, regardless of the format.
The more time you invest in your interview preparation, the better. Feeling that you’ve done everything possible to prepare will ease nerves and boost confidence on the day.
Prepare effectively for your interview by engaging in mock interviews at least a month in advance, reviewing practicalities a week in advance and keeping calm and sticking to the plan on the day.
Create your own preparation schedule to enhance your practices and your experience on the day.
The months leading up to your interview are the most crucial in terms of interview preparation.
This is when you’ll do most of your research, draft responses to common questions and participate in mock interviews.
Use the checklist below to guide your research and interview skills practice.
As your interview draws closer, it’s important to continue with mock interviews and gather as much feedback as you can. You’ll also want to think of practicalities, like travel arrangements and what to take with you on the day.
Use the checklist below to guide practical preparations the week before your interview.
The day before your interview should be used for final read-throughs and checks and calming your nerves.
Use the checklist below to support final preparations the day before your interview.
On the day, prioritise positivity and trust that all of your preparation will pay off. Having comprehensively prepared over the past weeks and months, you can now look forward to meeting interviewers and showing your best self.
Review the checklist below for some practical and self-care tips for the day of your interview.
