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Interviews (UK)›Giving great answers

Giving great answers

Discover what questions are really testing—and learn how to structure and deliver impactful responses.
7 min

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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.

A graphic titled 'Golden Rules for Interview Responses' featuring the acronym G.O.L.D. Each letter represents a rule: G for Genuine, O for On-point, L for Logical, and D for Detailed, with brief descriptions for each rule.

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 young woman with curly hair sits at a desk, wearing a yellow shirt and holding a pen. She gazes thoughtfully out of a window, with sunlight casting a warm glow on her face and a green wall in the background.
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 interview
A person with blonde hair sits at a desk, holding their head in their hands in a gesture of frustration or stress. The background is a deep red, and the desk is cluttered with papers and books, suggesting a challenging academic or work environment.
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.

An illustration of a woman wearing a hijab, sitting at a desk with a laptop and notebook, focused on her studies. The image is accompanied by a preparation checklist for medical school interviews, outlining steps such as learning about oneself, the medical profession, and practicing interview techniques.
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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 graphic titled 'Attributes and Skills' divided into two sections. The left section lists personal attributes including empathy, integrity, trustworthiness, resilience, ethically-minded, self-confidence (without arrogance), and drive for continual development and improvement, each accompanied by relevant icons. The right section lists skills such as verbal and written communication, teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving, attention to detail, leadership, and organization and time management, also with corresponding icons.
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Adopting a structured technique for answering questions can help you focus and empower you to deliver more effective responses.

There are two techniques that you can use:

  • PEE method
  • STARR method
An infographic explaining structured response techniques. On the left, the PEE method is outlined with 'Point', 'Evidence', and 'Explain'. On the right, the STAR method is detailed with 'Situation', 'Task', 'Action', 'Result', and 'Reflect'. Speech bubbles indicate usage for direct and indirect questions.

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

  • ‘What are your greatest strengths?’
  • ‘Why are you interested in this programme?’

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.’
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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 young man with curly hair sits at a table, facing an older man in a suit. The young man appears serious and engaged in conversation, while the older man is partially turned away, suggesting a discussion or interview setting. The background is a solid light green color.
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 dramatic illustration depicting a tense conversation between two individuals at a table. One person, dressed in a light-colored suit, is sitting with their head in their hands, expressing distress. The other person, in a dark suit, is seated across the table, appearing to engage in conversation. The background features bold red tones, enhancing the emotional intensity of the scene.
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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Walkthrough question

Using the PEE method in an interview

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

Walkthrough question

Using the STARR method

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.

An infographic titled 'Key Interview Topics' featuring six colorful speech bubbles. Each bubble contains a key topic for interviews: 'Work experiences' with a stethoscope icon, 'Personal attributes' with a pen and paper icon, 'Extra-curricular activities' with a sun and plant icon, 'Ethical standards' with a balance scale icon, 'Reasons for applying' with a compass icon, and 'Understanding of medical science and the medical profession' with a microscope icon.

Prepare by noting down your key skills, attributes, and experiences, and consider how these demonstrate that you’d make a good doctor. This 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.

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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Walkthrough question

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 what they like about you, what’s most impressive, and to give some examples of your key traits in action.

You can also reflect 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 a box with a brain inside. Above the box, a timer shows 30 seconds. Arrows extend from the box, labeled with categories for brainstorming: 'Feedback from friends, family, and teachers,' 'Skills and attributes,' 'Academic and non-academic achievements,' and 'Work and volunteer experiences.'

Consider your own experiences and how they demonstrate that you possess these seven essential traits.

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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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.

A structured table titled 'BRAINSTORM BOX REFLECTION' with three main sections: 'What?', 'So what?', and 'Now what?'. Each section contains bullet points guiding the user on how to reflect on experiences, including describing situations, identifying feelings, explaining importance, and suggesting improvements.

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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Walkthrough question

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 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.

A graphic titled 'Closing Question Topics' featuring four blue boxes. The top left box is labeled 'Research' with an open book icon, the top right box is labeled 'Area of interest' with a star icon. The bottom left box is labeled 'Personal connections' with a handshake icon, and the bottom right box is labeled 'Medical students' with a stethoscope icon. Arrows point towards the center from each box.

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 four main topics: Questions that show you have done your research, Questions that show you are serious about your area of interest, Questions that make a personal connection, and Questions for medical student interviewers. Each topic includes examples of questions related to that category.

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.

An illustration of two people sitting at a table, engaged in conversation. The background is a warm red color, and the scene conveys a sense of preparation and focus. A checklist titled 'Preparation Checklist' is displayed above, listing behaviors to avoid during an interview, such as wearing inappropriate clothing and displaying poor manners.
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You can steer clear of most interview pitfalls by planning in advance, doing your research, and maintaining professionalism.

An illustrated preparation checklist for interviews, featuring two women seated at a table. The checklist includes tips such as dressing professionally, arriving early, doing research, and maintaining an open posture, among others.

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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