The interview

We understand that you may be nervous about your interview. It might be the first time you've ever encountered a multiple mini-interview (MMI) format or any kind of high-stakes interview situation for that matter, but we hope that by familiarising yourself with the information provided here you will not find the experience too stressful.

The interview is not designed to intimidate or interrogate you. It is just a series of short conversations designed to assess your suitability for the course.

The interview is not a test of your academic knowledge (the pre-interview screening process we operate will already have ensured that all candidates called to interview have demonstrated sufficient academic potential), but the purpose is really to take a wider view.

We're looking primarily at the more innate skills and competencies, as well as the personal qualities and behavioural attributes that we think make applicants suitable for medical training.

It's also your opportunity to show off what you think makes you a good candidate!

Interview structure

There will be five stations, each of which is eight minutes long. The stations will each contain an interviewer. At the end of each station, the interviewer will assess your performance and give you a score using an iPad, which is then uploaded to our central database.

The interviewers do not see the scores from any other stations, so their scoring is completely independent. The scores from all of the stations are later collated to reach a decision.

What sorts of things are we looking for?

Communication skills are essential to the practice of all aspects of medicine. We expect candidates to be able to express their ideas clearly and coherently and to be able to follow a reasoned argument. Candidates who give spontaneous yet well-thought-out answers to questions are more likely to impress the interviewers than those who give obviously rehearsed and "coached" responses.

Your experiences of the caring role of the medical community (in its widest sense) will be of interest to the interviewers. These need not be in a traditional mainstream medical environment. The interview is an opportunity for you to describe how such experiences have influenced your career choice.

We understand that not all applicants will have been able to complete hands-on medical work experience due to the pandemic. You will have the opportunity to discuss with the interviewers what you have done to replace this, including any online courses or activities you have taken part in.

You are not expected to have detailed knowledge of medical terminology. However, we would expect you to have an informed layperson's view on aspects of medicine which are of current media interest. Please be reassured that we will not take a position on any ethical issue, but we are interested in how coherently you express the ethical dilemmas facing medical practitioners.

In one station, the interviewer will have a copy of your non-academic information form.

Illness on the day

Please note that if you are not feeling 100% on the day, either before you attend the interview or when you have joined your interview session, you'll need to tell the Admissions staff before the interview starts (or if you are not fit enough to continue during the interview), so we can make a note on our interview schedule and inform the interviewers.

Alternatively, we may be able to re-schedule your interview.

Please understand that we cannot accept retrospective reports of illness after the interview has taken place. They will not be accepted as mitigation should your interview not be successful if you have decided to continue with your interview. If you feel you are not well enough on the day to undertake the interview, you must inform the admissions team before the interview commences and an alternative date may be provided.

Technical difficulties

We recognise that an online interview can experience technical difficulties for both applicants and interviewers.

If you are experiencing technical issues within a station, please raise this with the interviewer.

The interviewer will be able to flag to the Admissions team any technical problems that may be taking place so we can note it on our records. Applicants will not be penalised for this.

Good luck!