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It’s natural to feel anxious or fearful in the lead-up to your interview, especially if you’ve never experienced one before.
Taking steps to actively prepare in advance can help you feel calm and collected going in.
Review our interview checklist for some practical measures that will help you shine on the day.
Feeling anxious in the days prior to your interview is perfectly natural. This nervousness can enhance your focus and motivate you to prepare effectively.
If your anxiety becomes overwhelming, this can have detrimental effects, like making you panic and lose sight of your goals.
To tackle this, you can put practical steps into action to mentally and physically prepare for your interview.
No single technique will eradicate your anxiety. Find a combination of approaches that works for you and prevents your nerves from escalating.
Design your own system for managing anxiety. This will help you present your best self on the day of your interview.
Relieve interview anxiety by practising light review.
Reminding yourself of your achievements, aspirations, and attributes can show that you’re capable and possess key traits of a good doctor.
Follow the steps below to practise light review:
- Re-read your personal statement and application.
- Visualise your accomplishments and goals.
- Draft responses to a few commonly asked questions.
Relieve interview anxiety by engaging in physical exercise.
Keeping active and engaging in mindfulness practices, like meditation, in the lead-up to your interview can help you relax and regain focus.
Participate in physical exercise by:
- Practising yoga and breathing exercises.
- Walking in nature.
- Working out.
- Engaging in active hobbies, like football or badminton.
Relieve interview anxiety by engaging in early practical preparation.
Consider practicalities in the weeks leading up to your interview. This can mitigate stress and anxiety on the day.
Follow the steps below to practise early practical preparation:
- Double-check you have everything, especially essential items like identification and requested documents.
- Scope out the location and make travel arrangements.
- Allow for delays in your travel plans.
- Aim to arrive 30 minutes early.
“I remember being very nervous in the run-up to my interview but I found revisiting some of the material I wanted to discuss a good way to build my confidence, and this helped me to feel prepared. Looking back now, it seems silly to have been so nervous as my interviews ended up going really well after I allowed my personality to shine through. On the day of the interview, I left home early, which was a relief when my train was delayed because I would have otherwise been late. Before entering the interview room, I practised some breathing exercises, which helped calm my nerves.”
— Julia, University of Glasgow
Presenting yourself well on the day can help you feel confident and enhance your interview performance. Interviewers will be assessing your suitability for medicine, and your appearance will feed into this.
Choose an outfit that reflects your personality but maintains professionalism. This will show interviewers that you take pride in your appearance and that you’re serious and engaged with the process.
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“How you dress for your interview is important and one of the key elements to being successful in gaining an offer of a place. I wore a just-below-the-knee black dress with tights and flat shoes and I neatly tied my hair up in a bun. I felt professional, confident and comfortable, which I believe made a big difference in how I performed during my interview. If you feel confident, then that confidence will shine out of you.”
— Kim, University of Manchester
“Seo Min Hyun once said, ‘Good shoes take you to good places’, and people always take note of your shoes. Your choice of footwear can sometimes tell us if medicine is the right path for you to be walking down, so make sure you pick the right equipment for your long journey.”
— Sue, University of Dundee
Taking a small bag with a few essential items to your interview can put your mind at ease and impress interviewers.
Prepare a list of key items in advance. Be sure to include items you were asked to, and would like to, bring with you.
Having relevant documents with you on the day means you can review them just prior to your interview. This can help calm nerves and remind you of your greatest strengths and achievements.
Application-related documents to bring to your interview:
Printed copies of your application documents.
- Record of achievements folder (qualifications and certificates)
- CV
- Personal statement
- References
Printed copies of research or clinical guidance.
- Evidence of individual research
- BMJ articles or guidance on good medical practice
Bringing printed copies of important interview documents acts as a safety net and ensures you won’t be caught out on the day.
Interview documents to bring to your interview:
Printed copies of important information and documents.
- Interview invitation
- Documents requested on your interview invitation (e.g., a non-disclosure form)
- Personal identification (e.g., driving licence or passport)
- Personal contact details
- Directions to the venue
- Medical school’s contact details
Having comfort items, like water and tissues, and essential items, like a notepad and pen, can help you relax and feel more confident.
Some comfort items to bring with you:
- Water bottle – to stay hydrated without relying on venue facilities
- Light snack – to keep energy up during long waits or breaks
- Tissues – for runny noses or unexpected sneezes
- Hand sanitiser – for a quick clean-up before shaking hands or handling documents
- Layered clothing – to adapt to overly warm or cold rooms
Some useful items to bring with you:
- Pen and small notepad – for jotting down notes before or after stations
- Watch (non-smart) – to keep track of time
- Travel plan with backup route – reduces stress if transport fails
- Phone – but turn it off when you arrive
“I only took my interview offer letter and what the letter requested me to bring with me, such as identification documents. On reflection, I wish I had taken a bottle of water with me because my mouth became dry a number of times which was very uncomfortable and would’ve been totally avoidable if I’d been more organised beforehand.”
— Arun, University of Cardiff
On the day of your interview, trust that your anxiety relief practices have prepared you to cope well.
Try these simple steps to alleviate any last-minute nerves.
Interviewers will appreciate that you’re nervous and will allow for this. They are human beings who will empathise with, and perhaps even share in, your anxiety.
First impressions are lasting.
Presenting yourself well from the moment you enter the medical school will impress reception staff and help you feel more at ease.
There are opportunities to form a great first impression at three key stages:
- Arriving at the venue
- Sitting in the waiting room
- Entering the interview room
Forming a great first impression begins when you arrive at the medical school.
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Continue presenting your best self while you’re sitting in the waiting room.
Prepare to form a great first impression with interviewers by conducting some final checks and channelling positivity.
When you’re called into the interview room, enter with purpose and positivity to generate great first impressions.
Show your best self, don’t let the process faze you, and enjoy it.
’I was a bundle of nerves as I waited to be called for my interview. However, I tried my best to calm myself down by humming my favourite song (but not too loudly) and thinking about what I’d get up to after my interview. Keeping a clear mind and making sure you don’t wind yourself up too much is a good idea. When I went in, I greeted the interviewers in a warm, professional manner and sat down when they invited me to do so."
— Anonymous, University of Nottingham
Positive, open body language can go a long way in supporting your interview responses and impressing interviewers.
Communicating well with your body as well as your words will enhance your interview experience and show interviewers that you are engaged with the process.
Avoid succumbing to nerves and closing in on yourself. Keep body language open and receptive, as this will naturally engage interviewers and help you feel more confident.
“Before my interview, I attended several mock interviews where I was able to gain feedback about my body language and posture. I discovered I was not maintaining enough eye contact while answering questions and could be quite quiet when faced with a question I was not quite sure about.
I then practised in front of a mirror to see how I came across and practised answering questions posed by friends and family to make my manner more confident. This really helped me when it came to my actual interview."
— Anonymous, St. George’s University of London
Your outlook and attitude can have a substantial impact on your interview performance.
Review the positive mindset toolkit below for some simple approaches that can help you project positivity during your interview.
Practising these approaches before your interview can empower you to give responses you’re proud of.
The most important thing is to stay positive during your interview.
Staying positive involves:
- Maintaining your spark and creativity under pressure
- Keeping calm and composed
- Stopping yourself from dwelling on any negatives
- Constantly pushing forward
- Projecting confidence and enthusiasm, no matter the question or circumstances
- Focusing on positive experiences, opportunities, lessons learned, and personal growth
Medical school interviews, particularly MMIs, involve time pressure. This can make you want to deliver answers as quickly as possible; however, this hasty approach can affect the quality of your responses.
Taking time to consider your response and delivering it at a normal pace can help you remain calm and confident.
Take your time by:
- Embracing moments of silence
- Avoiding rushing in with your responses
- Taking a moment to gather your thoughts before responding. It’s okay to say ‘Please may I have a moment to think about that?’
- Rephrasing the question if it’s helpful
- Paying attention to interviewer prompts
- Ensuring your response answers the question you were asked
The most impactful responses are concise and genuine. Be sure to answer questions fully but not over-talk, as this could eat into time for other questions.
Talk enough but not too much by:
- Keeping responses clear, accurate, and concise
- Avoiding tangents
- Answering the whole question in your response
- Knowing when it’s appropriate to summarise or conclude your response
- Practising your pace of speech and timing yourself giving responses
Confidence is a desirable trait, especially for future doctors. Candidates with positive self-esteem who lack arrogance will stand out to interviewers.
Be confident and avoid arrogance by:
- Showing that you believe in yourself and your abilities
- Avoiding overselling your strengths, successes, or knowledge, as this can come across as arrogant
- Crediting your teammates as well as yourself when reflecting on experiences
- Acknowledging the success of others and presenting things you learned from them
- Offering a simple ‘Thank you’ to any compliments from the interviewer