How to approach your Medical and Dental School Interviews

Dec 22

By Amelia Snook, Pragnya Dara, Maariyah Bajibhai and Katherine Brock

What are the different types of interviews?

The main types are MMI or multiple mini interviews and panel interviews. Some medical schools might incorporate aspects of both and may have more practical elements as well.

Let’s start with MMIs. Multiple mini interviews are the most common type for medicine courses in the UK, in fact, about three-quarters of UK medical schools use them. The name comes from their structure: you will have lots of stations which each last approximately 10 minutes from start to finish. Usually, an MMI will consist of around 10 stations, although this varies from one medical school to the next. In total, the interviews will often last for around 2 hours.

It is really important to remember that every station is independent of the other, which means that you can start fresh for each. If you are worried that you ‘messed up’ or thought you could have done more in a station then you must not panic as you can improve in the next one (and believe me I had many stations that I felt could have gone better). You will of course be nervous so it is natural to have a few blips on the day. Try to block out all thoughts of the previous station and focus on the next station.

Candidates will have a short period at the start of each station, during which they will receive a question or scenario and have some time to prepare an answer. Use this time to calm your nerves, clear your head and have a break too!

Some medical schools use panel interviews, which are more traditional in style than multiple mini interviews. Usually, there will be two or three interviewers and the panel may include admissions officers, doctors, nurses, lecturers, medical students, or anyone else that the medical school deem appropriate. They typically last between 20-40 minutes and are one long interview rather than multiple mini stations. The interview may be structured with specific questions or may be semi-structured, which means the interviewers will use your answers to develop further questions, making the interview more conversational in style.

If you are preparing for Oxford and Cambridge, they tend to have more traditional panel interviews with quite a strong focus on applying knowledge in new settings. For example, data analysis. But ethics is important too and should not be neglected. For Oxford and Cambridge-specific tips provided by a current Cambridge student, go towards the end of this blog.

Key tips and tricks for preparation and for the interview itself!

Practice with your friends, family, and teachers to ensure that you feel comfortable asking lots of questions. Record yourself too! It is good to put yourself under pressure so having an opportunity to practice with someone unfamiliar is often an excellent way to put yourself out of your comfort zone. For example, at my school, my teachers organised a mock interview circuit where I was questioned by multiple teachers under timed conditions. I found it a stressful experience at first however I soon got used to the environment and realised that calming myself down and taking deep breaths before answering the question helped.
Be confident - though you might feel nervous it is really important to show some confidence in your interview (without coming across as arrogant though!). They want to see what you have to offer, so try not to sit quietly! They do understand that you are nervous to some extent, but you do not want to waste the opportunity by not saying anything. You are there to impress the interviewers and showcase your skills.
Research common questions and activities that are likely to come up and consider your answers for each one. I came up with a list of common scenarios and wrote down my thoughts on each - in the second half of this webinar, we will give you an insight into some examples of these.
Present yourself with a good posture and smile and ensure that you maintain eye contact with your interviewer at all times. This will leave a good lasting impression on the interviewer and they will feel more engaged. If you do not look at them, have a scowl on your face or are slumped on the chair, they will presume that you are disinterested and not very enthusiastic about the degree.
Learn about the university and course you are applying to! It is so important to research where you will be applying as the interviewers want to know why you are suited to the course. For example, do you like the integrated style of teaching where you are in hospitals earlier on? Or would you prefer a traditional course where you study science for 2 years and then you go into hospitals? How much patient contact will you have each year? Do they teach anatomy with prosection or dissection? Is there an ability to intercalate? Is it a campus-based university or are buildings spread over a large area? You must show that you want to be at this university and by learning about it in enough detail, you will be able to do this.
Do some wider reading. Keep up to date with Hot Topic and learn about the NHS and its structure.
Consider planning some of your answers using the STARR method so that everything is well-structured. STARR:

Situation - set the scene.
Task & Action - often linked; what did you do
Result - what happened
Reflection - what did you learn

Reflection is so important during these interviews. Although they are short, you need to show that you have really considered a career as a doctor and you have thought carefully about whether it is the right job for you. Before your interview, think about the skills you have developed and the knowledge you have obtained as a result of volunteering or work experience and try to link all of these together concisely in your answers, so the interviewer has a full picture of who you are and why you would make an excellent doctor. If you have done something, you need to be able to explain what you gained from it in terms of your skills and experiences. You could consider using the What, Why, How, and When framework. To start with, think about what you observed and learnt rather than what you saw. You could speak about teamwork in an MDT meeting for example. Next, is why - why did this experience particularly stand out to you? Focus on experiences that taught you about the healthcare system and what it entails. You do not need to have been to see a huge surgery or some complicated procedure - discussing building a patient rapport with a patient is just as important (though do remember to maintain confidentiality at all times). How has your experience impacted you? Do not simply state ‘this made me want to be a doctor’ - interviewers want to know about what might have changed your perception of the healthcare profession. Medical and dental schools want students who are self-aware and who will constantly be open to learning new things. Every day you will be learning lessons from professionals and being able to reflect on experiences is a crucial part of being a healthcare professional. Finally when - think about when you will be able to put what you have learnt into practice. When have you used the experience to benefit someone else? Have you taught other students as a consequence? Interviewers want to know that you will put your teaching into practice and be actively involved.

When should I start preparing for interviews?

Invitations for interviews are sent out from November onwards and this lasts for quite a few months so do not be worried if you have not heard yet. Start as early as possible if you have not already - this will maximise your time and mean that you can feel more confident in an interview. You might not have had an interview for a long time (or ever!) so it is important to practise as much as you can and as early as you can. Do a little every day so you don’t feel overwhelmed. If you’re starting quite early, perhaps tackle a new question every day so you’re developing yourself constantly!

How is dentistry different?

Everything that has been covered so far applies to dental interviews, just substitute dentistry for medicine! In terms of MMIs, you can expect to see a station on manual dexterity - for this, don’t panic! They aren't looking to see if you're already perfect with your hands, just that you have some idea that dentistry requires you to work with your hands. Panel interviews may also raise this question, consider what you do already to evidence you know that you need manual dexterity! Do you play an instrument? Sew? Game? Paint? Make models? But again, don't worry about already being perfect, that's what you go to uni to learn! At the workshop, there won't be a manual dexterity station as this is difficult to do virtually but just something to think about and prepare for.

In terms of ‘hot topics’ - be aware of how NHS dentistry works - it is subsidised unlike all other treatments within the NHS. They may well ask about the future of dentistry in terms of privatisation and your thoughts on this. They may also ask about digital dentistry (3D printing/scanning etc), fluoride and water fluoridation, the environment and dentistry in terms of sustainability and single-use plastics etc, this might also include sustainable home care - bamboo toothbrushes etc,

Make sure you also address why you have chosen dentistry as it's not a second choice to medicine - you need to make clear you understand the specifics of the degree and that it's not just an alternative choice to medicine.

If anyone has more specific questions feel free to contact me or ask at the workshop and hope to see you all there!

Interview Questions

Below we have provided examples of topics that could come up to give you an idea of what to expect. These have been created by us and are not a copy of actual interview questions from universities. If you are unsure about any of these topics do not worry - there is still lots of time to familiarise yourself with content and practice.

Ethics

Ethics is a subject that comes up not only in your interview but also repeatedly while you're in medical school and as a doctor, you will be constantly in ethical dilemmas. I know that during my years so far in medical school I have had multiple lectures on ethics tutorials where we had to contemplate and talk about the ethical questions surrounding the case, so it’s a good idea to understand it now.

There are 4 pillars to consider when it comes to ethics:

Autonomy - Respecting the patient and their rights so keeping them at the centre of all decisions and decision-making + involving them as much as possible. They have the ultimate decision-making responsibility for their treatment.
Non-maleficence - Does it do ‘no harm’ to the patient? For example, if a treatment causes more harm than good, then it should not be considered.
Beneficence - Benefit the patient. For example, when looking at possible treatments for a patient, consider all valid options and rank them in order of preference.
Justice - Treat all patients fair and equally. Everyone should get the healthcare they need.

It is key to use all 4 pillars and try to address any ethics questions with them - essentially use them as a framework to answer your questions.

Don't be too hasty in making a decision but present for and against both your arguments and come to a balanced conclusion. This is so important! They’re looking to see how well you know the ethical side of medicine, sometimes more imp than the factual side! Try to be confident in your answers but not arrogant and always provide evidence to back up your knowledge.

‘Why Medicine/Dentistry?’

This is a question that's quite common, however often many of us are confused about how to answer it.

Try to bullet point some key points for this answer, but don’t rehearse the answer. The interviewers don’t want a perfect answer because there truly isn’t one. However, they do want a sincere and honest answer - that’s something most definitely you can provide them with.

BMAT essay

If you sat BMAT it might be useful to note down a few key points about your essay. Be prepared to be questioned about your views. This will not be an interrogation - you simply have to explain your opinions.

Role-play

You can be given a scenario and an actor can be present and you’ll have to act it out. This most often happens in MMIs but you can have a similar question with no actor present in panel interviews. Either way, best to be prepared.

Tips:

Think about who you are in the scenario - the doctor, the medical student, the consultant. Try to think about how they would talk.
Adapt your communication skills depending on who you speaking to - in terms of age and patients or colleagues- try not to use jargon if it's patients. If it’s a 5-year-old, would you use language like bacteria? Use germs instead.
Try to give a warning at the beginning to prepare them for the news, so they don’t get shocked eg I’m afraid I have some bad news.
Show empathy and understanding: saying things like ‘I can imagine how hard this must be for you. Would you like some time alone?’
You don’t need to make a diagnosis - you will never be asked to do that. The skill they are looking for here is communication skills as that is a key part of medicine.
You most likely will need to break bad news like this so practice practice practice!

Key topics in the News

Try to keep up with medical news. Pick a news article of interest. Research the COVID-19 vaccinations and the pandemic - make sure you know key facts about them as it is relatively recent. Mental health is also a good topic to be informed about. You don’t need to be on the news every minute of the day but do try to keep track of the latest advancements as they can ask your opinion on events.
Most news websites tend to have ‘Health’ sections. Have a look at these.
You can also follow a variety of accounts on social media that will have health-related news.

For dentistry, it is important to keep up with the news regarding dentistry and the change in legislation, roles and privatisation. It can be confusing but it is great to keep up with in case it comes up!

‘Why medicine at … university ‘

This was a question I didn’t think about when preparing for my interview until the last day but it’s such a vital question. Familiarise yourself with the content and the way the course is set up and run.

A few key points to think about

Is it a spiral curriculum?
Is it traditional?
Is it PBL?
Explore the societies these universities have- are there any that particularly appeal to you?
Do they have any facilities unique to them - a famous research centre perhaps? Social media and google are your best tools here.
Do you like the integrated style of teaching where you are in hospitals earlier on? Or would you prefer a traditional course where you study science for 2 years and then you go into hospitals?
How much patient contact will you have each year?
Do they teach anatomy with prosection or dissection?
Is there an ability to intercalate?
Is it a campus-based university or are buildings spread over a large area?
You must show that you really want to be at this university and by learning about it in enough detail, you will be able to do this.
Pick out a key aspect of the university that appeal to you. No harm in praising the university for their facilities to make them happier but also score some points yourself!

For dentistry, consider, do they have wet dissection? Simulation labs? Early patient contact and clinics? Integrated teaching? Identify anything that stands out about that uni.

Skills question

A lot of the time, interviewers like to ask about skills that you will need as a doctor. They will ask you to give examples of these skills. The most common examples are leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. When answering this question, use the following points to structure your answer:

Think about what experiences you have had where you demonstrated these skills - they don’t have to be long-term, big things, any good example will do. E.g. I worked with my team on a presentation in Biology.
What did you learn from the experience? E.g. I could see that people had different ideas and different ways of looking at the question, so we had to discuss first to agree on how we were going to approach it.
Be as specific as you can! So they don’t think you are making it up and to make it more interesting to listen to.
How does this relate to the job you will be holding in the future? This is so important to mention, for example, team working skills are crucial in the hospital and this is seen via the multidisciplinary team.

Data analysis

During the data analysis section, often interviewers will present you with fairly reasonable diagrams that you must interpret. This could involve graphs, bar charts, tables, etc. The interviewer might ask you about trends and you could have to conduct a few calculations.

Even if you’re not a fan of Maths diagrams (most people aren’t), you will still be an expert at this as you will have done plenty in whatever A-Level/IB courses you are doing.

The thing that prevents most people from answering correctly is their nerves! So it is very important to calm down, take a deep breath and remember they aren’t there to catch you out. Tell yourself the diagram is approachable. I remember my interviewer congratulating me on getting it right and telling me most don’t get it right because they panic, not because the question is hard!

Tell them what you see - it might be a simple line graph but describe what you see on the x-axis, y-axis etc and what the graph tells you about the relationship between the variables.

Use the information you’ve been given and your Biology knowledge to answer their questions.

Day before the interview

Sleep - it is so important to get a good night’s sleep before your interview – there is no point trying to cram more information in at this point! You need to be full of energy for the next day so that you can perform at your best.
Targets - think about what you have been working on over the last few months or weeks. Was there anything in particular that you need to brush up on? Perhaps a news story that you did not understand? Write down a few pointers that you can look at on the day of the interview just to remind yourself of the areas you need to focus on.
Laying clothes out for the next day always helps me feel more organized so I would definitely recommend this.
Relax.
Do not worry too much about it - you have done everything you can now!

Day of the interview

On the day of the interview, I would recommend dressing professionally. This means wearing your school uniform or if you are no longer in school uniform, trousers or a pencil skirt and a shirt. Think about what your GP wears - this is likely to be suitable. Dressing smartly gives a good impression to the people who are interviewing you.
Make sure that you eat a good breakfast and lunch on the day so that you are energised. The interview day can be exhausting - I remember almost falling asleep on the tube on the way back. You want to be at your absolute best so having a good meal is key.
Bring lots of water to drink - you want to avoid having a dry mouth at the interview and you will be talking a lot.
Do not panic if you mess up a question or find questions hard - this is very common.
Once your interview has finished, I would recommend writing down a few things that you might find useful in preparation for your next interview. For example, I wrote down a few targets for myself, such as speaking slightly slower when I feel nervous so that I could remember the main things I needed to be working on to improve my interview skills.
More easily said than done but try not to think about the interview, block it from your mind or else you’ll find yourself scrutinizing every detail. Rewind or go out with your friends/loved ones and be proud that you received an interview offer and that you did the best you could.

Oxford & Cambridge Interview-specific tips

Make sure you practice for the science questions - re-visit your A-Level content, especially common biology mechanisms and topics you have put in your SAQ (SAQ is only for Cambridge)
They love it when you talk about your scientific knowledge, however basic you think it may be! Also, try to build on existing scientific knowledge wherever you can!
Remember that it is impossible to have all the knowledge that they can ask you questions about, so the better way of preparing is to practice how you plan to approach questions you don’t know the answers to.
They like to hear you speak out your thought process and think systematically, so it is a good idea to practise explaining your thoughts and approaching things in an organised way - especially if you’re not entirely sure how to answer the question.
Be able to speak about your personal statement - be ready to elaborate on diseases and mechanisms you have mentioned there.
Try to learn topical knowledge - for example, in last year’s interviews, some students were asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines and their mechanisms. So whatever medical news you feel is going around in the news, try to get to grips with the science aspect of it. They may even test you on COVID-19 again this year!
Make sure to go over ethics, especially topics related to GMC values, and what you would do as a doctor in certain situations - for example, what you would do if you witness confidentiality being broken.
Research common Oxford and Cambridge interview questions as they can repeat!
Make educated guesses whenever you don’t know the answer - they do not expect you to know the answer to everything, they are more interested in hearing your thought process!
Having said all of this, it is important to not stress about the interview - trust your gut and take it slowly! They are not trying to trick you at all, and are happy to help if you feel stuck.
And perhaps most importantly, make sure to enjoy the experience as you have the opportunity to speak with leading scientists and clinicians!

Recommended resources

Wearemedics interview ebook

Resource website: https://go.wearemedics.com/interview-eBook

In2MedSchool for mentoring

Resource website: https://www.in2medschool.com

Melanin Medics

Resource website: https://www.melaninmedics.com

The Aspiring Medic’s Support

Resource website: https://www.tams.community

Zero Gravity mentoring for all university degrees:

Resource website: https://www.zerogravity.co.uk

Medics & Me:

Resource website: https://medicsandme.wixsite.com/website-1

Pathway to Med:

Resource website: https://pathwaytomed.github.io

Widening Participation Medics Network:

Resource website: https://www.wpmedicsnetwork.com

Scrubbed up:

Resource website: Scrubbed Up | Getting to the heart of Med School (scrubbed-up.com )

Frequently asked questions

Below are some questions from students who attended our webinar and workshops.

How do you approach an unpredictable question?

Don’t rush.
Think about the answers for a few seconds.
Find keywords in the question, understand them and form a response using them.

How do you stand out from other students in the way you approach questions?

Be honest and talk about how your experiences have helped you have a good understanding of the healthcare profession.
Speak with sincerity and do not exaggerate your response

Do you get time in the interview to think and are you allowed to write anything down?

You can pause for a few seconds before you launch into your answer.
Some MMIs have short breaks between stations where you can read the station title and prepare a little though this is not universal.
You may get a few seconds in between stations if you’re doing it virtually while you change breakout rooms.
Don’t be afraid to ask if you can write something down or to take a
few seconds to clear your mind - the interviewers understand this is an intense and nervous time for you.
Interviewers sometimes actually like that you are taking a few seconds to think as it shows you are carefully considering your points - so do not hesitate to do this if you need to!

Will we be told about the timings for questions before we are asked them at the interview?

When you arrive for your interview you will normally be given a short briefing so that you understand the layout and timings of the MMIs.
Listen carefully as the MMIs at different universities may be structured differently.

What kind of preparation is ideal for the last few days before interviews?

Look over your targets from any practices you have done previously.
Refresh your memory of some of the work experience or volunteering you have done, especially focusing on what you learnt from it and how this will help you in the future.
Consider some of the ‘Hot Topics’ in the news at the moment - has anything in particular interested you? Was there anything that relates to the four pillars of ethics?
Have some notes of key points you want to refresh that you’re not confident on while preparing for the interview in the last few days review these topics.

How to keep up with current affairs for interviews?

Read medical news regularly! I downloaded the BBC app onto my phone so I could have a quick look at the latest updates whenever I found some time - eg. during my bus ride to school, form time etc.

What happens if I don’t get any interviews?

If you do not receive an interview offer then please do not give up hope. You can still reapply to the same course again in the future and there is always a chance you will get in next time!