School Student
What's surgery like?
Interviews
The final application stage is the interview. Prepare well for this and make sure you re-read your personal statement and are prepared to talk about it. Think about questions you may be asked and prepare answers, giving examples from your own experience where possible.
You will also need to research current “hot topics” in medicine in case you are asked about these. Websites such as Bright journals will help with this. Talk to as many medics as you can, and listen to what they have to say, especially about topical areas and ones which may come up in the interview (such as NHS bureaucracy, paperwork, rationed care, current and proposed changes, the impact of European regulations, etc).
Remember it’s also a good chance for you to find out whether it’s a medical school you’d like to go to and the place you’d like to live. So don’t be afraid to ask them questions which will help you decide.
Interview questions
Interview questions will cover a variety of areas. Some will be asking for elaborations on the information in your personal statement, while others will require you to articulate an opinion or need you to be up to date on current affairs. All are designed to make you communicate with the panel. It’s OK to ask for time to think. The panel is not trying to trick you – they want to find out about you; they take into account that you may be nervous. You can find a list of example questions here.
