Got a medical school interview coming up? Wondering how best to prepare? The key to successful preparation is a good understanding of the university’s interview format. Broadly speaking, interviews can be categorised into three different formats: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs), ‘Traditional’ Interviews and Group Interviews.
Knowing the style of your interview in advance will help in deciding how best to practice. To help you out, we have listed ALL medical schools across the UK with their interview styles.
Table of Contents
Every Medical School Interview Format + Unique Aspects
This guide has every single medical school in the UK, with their interview format and unique aspects you should consider when interviewing there. You can use the table of contents above to go directly to the medical schools that you are applying to. Of course, due to the pandemic, it is likely that your interview will be online, but the interview style will be the same.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Candidates rotate around a number of different question stations each in turn. At each station, two selectors will explore one question area/domain for 5 minutes and score the candidate’s performance against pre-determined criteria. Communication and interpersonal skills are also scored at each station. The MMI experience will last approximately 1 hour for each candidate.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on understanding of medical career ladder, motivation for medicine, and problem-solving.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
MMIs consist of a series of six mini-interviews (‘stations’), each lasting six minutes.
- Unique Aspects:
Assessed on 3 criteria: 1) Communication and interpersonal skills, 2) Problem solving and initiative, 3) Personal integrity and moral reasoning.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
During an MMI, you will encounter between seven and ten different stations. Each station is designed to test a different attribute.
- Unique Aspects:
May involve actors in a roleplay scenario. A number of the stations are based on GMC guidelines.
- Interview Style: Traditional
- Interview Details:
Normally, interview panels consist of two members of senior academic or clinical staff, a medical student and sometimes a lay selector.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on NHS ‘hot topics’ and what you would bring to life at Barts.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Each interview station will last for 6 minutes, plus 2 minutes preparation time during which you will be informed of the discussion topic and, where relevant, the primary questions you will need to answer. At each station, you will interact with one interviewer but a second interviewer will also be present. You will be scored independently by each.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on medical news.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
The Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) at BSMS will consist of five discussions, each lasting ten minutes, with a minute between each discussion. Applicants will move from each discussion in turn, until they have completed a full circuit – this will take 54 minutes.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on work experience and Medical School Council’s core values.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Each MMI has 7 stations that last 6 minutes. 1 minute is used for reading the instructions and getting an idea of what the station requires you to do.
- Unique Aspects:
Focus on ethics and interest in Medicine.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Selection day using MMI style interviews. 10 stations that last 7 minutes.
- Unique Aspects:
Common focus is qualities of a doctor and ethics.
- A place on the Interview Crash Course
- A place on the MMI Crash Course
- Our Interview Online Course
- Our Incredible Interview Workbook
- Interview Style: Traditional
- Interview Details:
Traditional or Panel Interviews consist of being asked questions around your application itself (Personal Statement, school work, work experience) and your reasons for wanting to study Medicine. These questions are asked by a panel of two or more Cambridge tutors.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on basic science and maths. Interview format varies between colleges.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
9 stations, 6 minutes each.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on empathy, leadership ability, insight into professional life, insight into the Welsh NHS, time management and teamwork, and problem-solving.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
10 stations. 7 minutes each – 1 minute of reading + 6 minutes for discussion/task completion.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on role play and selling points unique to Dundee.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
The interview will take the form of MMIs which will assess a range of skills and attributes including the following (mapped onto The NHS Constitution Values and the Vision and Values of Edge Hill University).
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on understanding and motivation for wanting to join the programme, verbal communication skills, integrity/probity, teamwork/leadership, empathy and compassion, awareness of current health challenges, ethical awareness, awareness of self and others, prioritisation/decision making, interpretation of data.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
3 rotations. 10 minutes each. 20 minutes preparation work before interviews commence. 1) Communication skills, 2) Critical and ethical reasoning and 3) Career exploration.
- Unique Aspects:
As part of the assessment half-day, candidates have an opportunity to find out more about studying Medicine at Edinburgh.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
7 stations. 3 minutes each and 3 minutes in between each station.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on course details, role play and non-academic qualities.
- Interview Style: Traditional
- Interview Details:
The interview session will last around 30 minutes in total, divided into two sections – a panel A and a panel B. Panel A will explore what being a doctor means and related topics around this. The panel B section will focus more on the applicant as a future doctor and will include a discussion of an ethical scenario – applicants choose one from two given scenarios.
- Unique Aspects:
The interviews are conversational, with no writing required at any stage of the process. The only part of the interview that requires reading is the panel B section, where the applicant reads two ethical scenarios and chooses one for discussion.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Group exercise (20 points) – 20 minutes. Personal qualities interview (20 points) – 10 minutes with 2 interviewers. Issues in medicine interview (20 points) – 10 minutes with 2 interviewers. Scenario stations (20 points) – 5 minutes.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on personal statement, and medical issues.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
The interview process consists of multiple aspects including 3 mini-interviews, group work scenarios and individual scenarios.
- Unique Aspects:
Common topics assessed are motivation for studying Medicine, understanding of the qualities of a good doctor and communication skills.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
10 stations. 5 minutes each.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on motivation/experiences informing your decision to pursue a medical degree, insight and empathy, responsibilities and challenges of being a doctor, awareness of ethical issues, resilience, comprehension, and effective communication. 30-minute clinical maths test – 20 questions and simple calculations can be used.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
There are 6 stations that are 7 minutes long with 2 minute breaks in-between. The group station lasts for 42 minutes.
- Unique Aspects:
Candidates who are invited to interview will be able to view information on MMI timings and logistics via their applicant portal.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
7 stations. 6 minutes each with 2 minutes preparation time.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on ethical scenarios, current topics in the news, and reasons for applying.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
The MMI will consist of three small circuits:
- Circuit A consists of stations where you will be given a different task or questions to answer. You will have exactly 5 minutes at each station and then you will be asked to move to the next station. You will have 5 minutes between each station.
- Circuit B consists of stations where you will have 5 minutes to read and think about some information, followed by 5 minutes to discuss with an interviewer. You will have 5 minutes between each station.
- Circuit C consists of a group excercise. You will have 3 minutes reading time followed by 15 minutes for group discussion.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on NHS ‘hot topics’, and problem-based learning. 20-minute group activity.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
The MMI process consists of eight different stations. Each station will last six minutes with one minute to move between stations and read the next task.
- Unique Aspects:
BMAT station – assessed on BMAT essay discussion.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
The MMI consists of 8 stations which are 7 minutes long.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on what makes a good patient consultation, personal statement, medical news and ethical scenarios, and calculation skills.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Any applicant who is invited to interview will be advised of the format when issued with their interview invitation.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Four or five-station multiple mini interview (MMI) format, with each station being marked by a separate interviewer and each station lasts seven minutes long.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on communication skills, reasons for wanting to do Medicine, matters of medical interest, previous caring experience, and ethical and social issues.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Interviews for home A100 and all A101 applicants take the form of Multiple Mini Interviews
(MMI’s). A100 applicants classed as International for fees purposes will be interviewed by a
panel of two interviewers either on campus or by video conference if this is more
convenient.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on integrity, communication, empathy and self-awareness, motivation and commitment to study Medicine, compatibility with the programme, teamwork, organisation, and resilience.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
7 stations, 5 minutes each.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on empathy and insight into Medicine as a career and personal suitability for the profession.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
6 stations, 5 minutes each. Includes one role-play scenario with a current medical student.
- Unique Aspects:
Ask you to briefly talk about one of your interests and teach the interviewer something about your chosen interest. You will need to allow time within the five minutes allocated for this scenario to interact with the interviewer to check their understanding and make sure they have correctly learned what you want to teach them.
- Interview Style: Traditional
- Interview Details:
Traditional or Panel Interviews consist of being asked questions around your application itself (Personal Statement, school work, work experience) and your reasons for wanting to study Medicine. These questions are asked by a panel of two or more Oxford tutors.
- Unique Aspects:
Oxford admissions tutors look to see if a candidate matches with criteria such as personal integrity, leadership potential and evidence of self-motivation. At an Oxford Medicine interview, students may be asked questions like “why do we have red blood cells?” or “should the NHS treat people who smoke?”.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
You will be assessed across four single assessor stations, which takes approximately 50 minutes. It is not a test of medical or scientific knowledge, but aims to explore your attitudes, outlook and way of thinking.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on GMC guidelines.
- Interview Style: Traditional
- Interview Details:
9 separate MMI stations. Around 5 minutes each.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on problem-solving, and medical ethics.
- Interview Style: MMI/Traditional
- Interview Details:
The Medical School usually uses Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMIs). This will not be possible in 2021-22 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and instead, they shall conduct structured online panel-based interviews between November 2021 and February 2022.
- Unique Aspects:
The Panel-Based Interviews comprise a series of eight sections. In the event that you are invited to attend an interview, you will be sent the questions with your invitation.
- Interview Style: Selection Day - Panel and Group
- Interview Details:
One 20-minute panel interview and a separate 30-minute group task.
- Unique Aspects:
Group task involves around 8 candidates discussing a certain topic, whilst being observed by two interviewers.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Interviews for entry to the School of Medicine are in the format of multiple mini interviews: these usually consist of six ‘mini’ interviews held at stations that last about six minutes each.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on ethical issues, and role-play scenarios.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
MMIs consists of between six and eight short interviews, which take around five minutes each. The interviewers sit at ‘stations’ and the interviewees move between them. Each ‘station’ may involve answering a question, completing a practical task, or participating in a role-play, for example, giving bad news to a patient’s relative.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on medicine ‘hot topics’, problem-solving skills, and role-play tasks.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Candidates undertake a series of short interview stations. The stations will examine a range of skills and aptitudes. The format of stations may vary from a 1:1 traditional interview through to a role-play.
- Unique Aspects:
Interviewees will complete a 30-minute online numeracy test which will assess their ability to perform clinically relevant calculations. This is a pass/fail test. Interviewees who do not achieve the passing score will be unsuccessful at interview.
- Interview Style: Assessment Day
- Interview Details:
30 minute written situational judgement assessment and two 20 minute panel interviews.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on personal statement, and course details.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
8 stations. 7 minutes each – 5 minutes activity + 2 minutes reading.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on current healthcare news and ethical dilemmas.
- Interview Style: Traditional
- Interview Details:
Panel interview with multiple interviewers.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on personal statement, and BMAT essay discussion.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Everyone who attends the selection centre will be there for about two hours and will take part in six Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs).
- Unique Aspects:
You will be observed and scored on the exercises (including team working, communication and empathy) by trained assessors. They come from a range of backgrounds including medical professionals, academics and laypeople with an interest in medical education.
- Interview Style: MMI
- Interview Details:
Candidates engage in a number of short interviews, using a range of different interviewers positioned at 6 stations.
- Unique Aspects:
Frequently assessed on communication skills, current affairs knowledge and professionalism.
So what next?
Knowing the interview format for your chosen university represents the first step in preparation. The subsequent steps involve practising frequently asked questions with friends, teachers and family, keeping up to date with important medical topics, and making sure you can explain everything on your personal statement!
The process isn’t easy and may feel daunting at times. Just remember that an interview invitation means the medical school already believes that you’re the kind of student they want – now’s your chance to show them in person!
If you’re after interview support (or just help with all areas of your Medicine interview) check out our Interview Bundle.
- A place on the Interview Crash Course
- A place on the MMI Crash Course
- Our Interview Online Course
- Our Incredible Interview Workbook
