Interviews

Detailed information on candidate selection is available in the undergraduate prospectus. The information given below is in addition to the details contained in the prospectus, and should be read in conjunction with those details.

This is a list of example questions which have been used during the interviews we conducted last year for applicants to the Undergraduate Medicine course. You should note, however, that the publication of these sample questions does not necessarily mean that you will be asked any of them in your interview.

Concerning motivation and realistic approach to medicine as a career:

• What have you done to find out about medicine as a career/Who have you talked to about doing medicine and what did you learn from them?

• What do you think you might like best about medicine as a career?

• What do you feel are likely to be the worst things about being a doctor?

• When you visited a hospital, what did you see that set you thinking about the difficult aspects of a medical career?

• What skills do you have that would make you a good doctor?

• What do you feel makes a good doctor?

• What difference did your work experience make to you?

Response to stress:

• What do you do to relax?

• How do you cope in situations where there is not enough time to finish a task?

• We all know exams are stressful. How did you manage when you were taking your GCSEs?

• What do you do when you have 3 or 4 things to do that are all urgent?

Evidence of working both as a leader and team member; ability to multitask:

• Have you dealt with a difficult situation?

• I see you are captain of a team. What duties does that involve?

• How do you feel about sharing work with others?

• How do you balance work and all your outside activities?

• I see you play sport/do the Duke of Ed/play in the orchestra (or similar) - why is this important to you?

• I see you were Director/Manager in your Young Enterprise company. How did you go about performing this role?

Contribution to Medical School life:

• Which activities do you think you would like to do?

• Would you like to do something new or continue your music/drama/mountaineering (or similar)?

• What would you like people to remember about you from your medical school life?

• The medical course is hard work. How do you propose to manage your work and still play football/violin (or similar)?