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

• 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’ for fees purposes and those classed as ‘International’, however the same competencies, aptitude and qualities are assessed.

If you are a ‘Home/EU’ applicant the interview will be a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. This involves seven separate stations, where you will meet different selectors to be assessed and graded on the following:

• Integrity (honesty and probity)
• Communication
• Empathy and self-awareness
• Motivation and commitment to be a doctor
• Compatibility with the 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.

If you are classed as ‘International’ for fees purposes, you will have a panel interview involving two selectors. This can be carried out by Skype in your home country. If you prefer to visit Newcastle University, you can have your panel interview on campus. The same categories as above are be assessed and graded by selectors during the panel interviews. 

The 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.

After interview, applicants are ranked in order of merit to determine who will be made an offer. At this stage, personal statements and references are also reviewed but no scores are allocated to these. 

To be fair to all applicants, Newcastle do not make any decisions until all the interviews in the cycle have been completed.

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 interview process. Sometimes this is very in depth, but others give little detail. We’ve listed information below but make sure you check the institution’s website for specific details.

Medical Schools (A - E)

• University of Aberdeen School of Medicine and Dentistry – advice on their MMI
• Anglia Ruskin University School of Medicine – overview of their MMI process
• Aston University Medical School – details of their MMI
• Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry – includes brief guidance on what they look for at interview
• University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences - advice and tips for their MMI
• Brighton and Sussex Medical School - information about their MMI
• University of Bristol Medical School - course admissions statement has brief guidance on their MMI (PDF: 7.3MB ) 
• University of Buckingham Medical School - use academic selection and structured selection examinations
• University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine – key criteria they use at selection interview (PDF: 7.0 MB) 
• Cardiff University School of Medicine - information on their MMI
• University of Dundee School of Medicine – preparing for their MMI
• Edge Hill University Medical School - information on skills to demonstrate at their MMI
• The University of Edinburgh Medical School - brief details of their selection day
• University of Exeter Medical School - very brief information on their MMI
  

Medical Schools (G - N)

• University of Glasgow School of Medicine – information and guidance on their interview process
• Hull York Medical School – details of their group exercise and interview process
• Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine  - brief details of their MMI
• Keele University School of Medicine - information and video about their MMI
• Kent and Medway Medical School – guide to their MMI
• King's College London GKT School of Medical Education – includes brief information on their MMI
• Lancaster University Medical School – MMI details
• University of Leeds School of Medicine – include details of their MMI
• University of Leicester Medical School - MMI information
• University of Liverpool School of Medicine - include very brief details of their MMI
• University of Manchester Medical School – what is looked for at the MMI
• Newcastle University School of Medical Education – information on panel and MMI interviews (or see above)
• Norwich Medical School – interview details
• University of Nottingham School of Medicine 
• University of Nottingham - Lincoln Medical School – includes details of their MMI process

Medical Schools (O - W) 

• University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division - their selection criteria during the application and interview
• Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry - information about their MMI
• Queen's University Belfast School of Medicine – advice and information on their MMI with example questions and video
• University of Sheffield Medical School – MMI details
• University of Southampton School of Medicine - some applicants will attend a selection day and interview. Download their selection policy for 2020 entry (PDF: 190KB)
• University of St Andrews School of Medicine - brief information on their MMI
• St George's, University of London - MMI Information, including previous questions asked
• University of Sunderland School of Medicine - MMI details
• Swansea University Medical School - information about their assessment centre
• University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine – MMI guidance (PDF: 7.2 MB)
• University College London Medical School - very brief information on what is considered in the application, including the interview
• University of Warwick Medical School - details of the skills looked for at their ‘selection centre’ (MMI)  

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
• A Taste of Medicine - includes information on what to expect at 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

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 visit us and 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 attend a drop-in session and practise answering typical medical school interview questions with a careers consultant, no appointment needed. 

We run a how to succeed at interviews workshop and employers on campus frequently run skills sessions for students, including sessions on interview techniques.

The Careers Service has rooms available for current students and registered graduates who need to take part in a telephone, Skype 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.

For more advice see Interviews and Assessment Centres.