The main types of interview for medicine are:

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) are used by the majority of UK medical schools. They involve moving around a number of ‘stations’ with different assessors at each. 

Station assessments can involve discussing personal statements and experience (like a more traditional interview). You will also have more practical activities, such as interacting with an actor who might be acting out a clinical/ethical scenario. You may be required to solve a problem or carry out a reading task.

Before the MMIs, you will usually be briefed on what to expect and given an opportunity to ask questions. It is worth researching online (see below) or contacting the medical school before an MMI to find out what information is available about each station.

MMIs are a real test of your communication and interpersonal skills as you need to make a good impression at every station.

More information on MMIs

• MMI interviews - advice from themedicportal.com
• Applying for medicine? Get ready for the new-style interview - Guardian article - advice on the MMI format
• YouTube  video:  An example MMI station as used for admission to the Medicine at Leeds from 2012/13 onwards
• YouTube video: MMI example from QUB School of Nursing & Midwifery

Many individual medical schools give more details of their own MMI process on their websites (see below).

Traditional/Panel interviews

The traditional interview involves being asked questions about your application and reasons for wanting to study medicine.

On average, the interviews last about 20 – 30 minutes and there will usually be a panel of two or three assessors. They may or may not have seen your application.

The interviewers may not all be medics but may include lay members, university staff and current medical students. It’s important to pay attention to all panel members. targetjobs gives more advice on handling panel interviews.

At the end of the interview, each assessor will grade the candidate’s performance and complete an assessment form. These grades are used as the basis for the decision-making process for actual offers.     

Group interviews

These are similar to a traditional/panel interview (see above). The difference is that you will be in a group setting and are likely to be given a topic to discuss with your group in front of the interviewers, before moving on to the traditional interview. See our interviews page for more information on group interviews.

Interviews at Oxford and Cambridge

Interviews at Oxford and Cambridge (an ‘Oxbridge interview’) are very different to other medical school interviews. They tend to focus on how you think, your scientific knowledge and your problems solving capabilities, especially how you respond when you don’t immediately know the answer. You can find example typical ‘Oxbridge’ questions at The Medic Portal.

If you've applied for an accelerated and an undergraduate medicine course at Newcastle, you will only be given one interview for both courses. This can result in two offers.

The interviewers may also decide that you are unsuited to the demands of the accelerated course, but will still consider you for the undergraduate programme.

The interview process differs for applicants who are classified as "Home/EU" and those classed as "International" for fees purposes; however, the same competencies, aptitude and qualities are assessed in both types of interviews.

For "Home/EU" applicants the interview is normally structured to a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. This involves seven separate stations, where applicants meet different selectors to be assessed and graded on the following categories:

• Integrity (honesty and probity)
• Communication
• Empathy and self-awareness
• Motivation and commitment to be a doctor
• Compatibility with the MBBS programme
• Teamwork (including leadership)
• Personal organisation
• Persistence and resilience 

Each station lasts for seven minutes with an extra two-minute ice breaker question in the first station. One of the stations involves a role-play scenario.

For applicants classed as "International", for fees purposes, a panel interview involving two selectors will be arranged. For convenience, this can be carried out via Zoom in the applicant's home country. If international applicants would prefer to visit Newcastle University, the University welcome them to have their panel interview on campus. The same categories as mentioned above will be assessed and graded by selectors during the panel interviews. 

Selectors are drawn from a diverse variety of backgrounds and experience, from health professionals working in the NHS to current intercalating students and lay people. Selectors receive specific selector training before the interviews as well as equality and diversity training.

Find out more about Newcastle’s selection process.

The Medical School Council lists the UK's medical schools.

Many institutions will offer advice on their own selection and interview process. Sometimes this is very in-depth, including previous questions asked, others intentionally give little detail.

The type of interview may also differ for UK and international applicants. 

We’ve listed UK medical school websites below. Make sure you check the institution website where you are applying for specific information. 

Medical Schools (A - E)

• University of Aberdeen School of Medicine and Dentistry 
• Anglia Ruskin University School of Medicine 
• Aston University Medical School 
• Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry 
• University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences
• Brighton and Sussex Medical School 
• University of Bristol Medical School 
• University of Buckingham Medical School 
  
• University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine 
• Cardiff University School of Medicine 
• University of Dundee School of Medicine 
• Edge Hill University Medical School 
• The University of Edinburgh Medical School 
• University of Exeter Medical School 

Medical Schools (G - N)

• University of Glasgow School of Medicine
• Hull York Medical School 
• Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine  
• Keele University School of Medicine 
• Kent and Medway Medical School 
• King's College London GKT School of Medical Education 
• Lancaster University Medical School 
• University of Leeds School of Medicine
• University of Leicester Medical School 
• University of Liverpool School of Medicine 
• University of Manchester Medical School 
• Newcastle University School of Medical Education 
• Norwich Medical School
• University of Nottingham School of Medicine 
• University of Nottingham - Lincoln Medical School 

Medical Schools (O - W) 

• University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division 
• Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry 
• Queen's University Belfast School of Medicine 
• University of Sheffield Medical School 
• University of Southampton School of Medicine 
• University of St Andrews School of Medicine 
• St George's, University of London 
• University of Sunderland School of Medicine
• Swansea University Medical School 
• University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine 
• University College London Medical School 
• University of Warwick Medical School 

The Medic portal also has tips for specific medical school interviews.

Preparation tips

• Review your personal statement
• Reflect - what did you do or observe during your work experience or shadowing experience? Think about the most interesting, unexpected, worst and best things that you observed. What did you learn from them? Have you applied anything you've learned?
• Find out what you can about the format. Research possible questions and think about how you would answer them. (See below for resources).
• Remember interviews can be conducted by a range of professionals and you may not only be interviewed by a doctor. You may encounter careers professional, actors, professional support staff, and teaching staff, particularly in MMIs. Avoid using very technical terms, you may have more clinical knowledge that those assessing you.
• Be aware of your body language/non-verbal communication
• Plan your journey to the interview
• Decide what you are going to wear. Some medical schools have guidance about how formally they expect you to dress for interview on their websites.

Typical questions

The following resources give more advice on the interview process and typical questions:

• The Medic Portal guidance on interviews and example questions including MMI questions,  NHS Hot Topics,  Ethics and Oxbridge Medicine Interview Questions
• Healthcareers.nhs.uk - example questions and what to expect on the interview day
• Medical Schools Council (free registration required) - includes advice on what to expect at interview and videos of example questions. Also offer PDF information sheet (PDF: 238 KB) 

For more advice see Interviews and Assessment Centres. 

Tips for answering ethical questions

• There is not a right answer
• Use evidence or explanation to back up your answers
• Explain your thought processes
• Don’t assume prior knowledge on the interviewers’ part – not all interviewers will be medics
• Show awareness and recognition of different viewpoints
• Don’t ‘sit on the fence’ – have an opinion
• Take a common sense approach

• The Medical Schools Council - lists the key skills and attributes needed to study medicine. You will be expected to demonstrate these with examples from your work experience, paid or voluntary work, your education, or hobbies.
• Values of the NHS Constitution - if you are applying for NHS-funded University courses you will be expected to understand NHS values. Be prepared to demonstrate how you would show these in your everyday work. Health Education England’s free online tool - highlights the values of the NHS. It shows staff working in various situations and asks questions about how you would have handled the same situation, with feedback on your responses. 

More resources:

• General Medical Council - protect patient safety and improve medical education and practice across the UK
• British Medical Association - trade union and professional association for doctors and medical students
• Healthcareers.nhs.uk - NHS careers site
• British Medical Journal – medical news and opinion
• The Lancet – medical news and comment
• GMC outcomes for medical students – highlights the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that new UK medical graduates must be able to show
• Good Medical Practice – guidance on ethics
• Medical Schools Council - resources for students
• Thestudentroom.co.uk – search for feedback and questions from others applying to Medical School
• Wanttobeadoctor.co.uk - a student-led society, whose aim is to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the same chance of getting into medical school
• Life of a medic - blog giving personal insight into life as a medical student

If you have an interview date in place, we may be able to offer an interview coaching session with a careers consultant. To arrange this go to Mycareer and arrange a bookable Information appointment to speak to an information adviser who will help you to prepare for your interview and then book your interview coaching session. 

If no interview coaching sessions are available you can go to Mycareer and arrange an online bookable Guidance appointment and practise answering typical medical school interview questions with a careers consultant. 

We run live and prerecorded workshops and webinars on Interviews and Assessment Centres. 

The Careers Service has rooms available for current students and registered graduates who need to take part in a telephone, or video interview, subject to availability. Rooms in King’s Gate would be available Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 17:00 only. If you require a room, please call into the Careers Service, Level 1, King’s Gate to arrange or contact us, providing as much detail as possible.

Practise video interview 

Our Shortlist.Me video interview software also has a practise interview for applying to medical school.

The interview features questions you may typically face during an interview for medicine and is focussed on developing your communication skills and an effective interview structure.

To access Shortlist.Me, log in to MyCareer and click on the Resources tab in the top right-hand corner.

Click on 'Shortlist.Me video interview'.

Then click on the practice interview you want to take. You'll be asked to complete a brief registration form and then you will have up to 7 days to complete the practice video interview.

Find out more at Practise your interview.

If you require reasonable adjustments to complete your video interview and would like extra time to think and answer, or have any problems accessing Shortlist.Me, please let us know via MyCareer.

For more advice see Interviews and Assessment Centres.