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Medicine interviews, 2027 entry
Brunel Medicine Interview Questions (2027 Entry)
How Brunel Medical School runs its asynchronous virtual multiple mini interview (vMMI), the provisional 2027 interview weeks for home and international applicants, what you can and cannot do while you record, and 58 practice questions grouped by the six station types in Brunel's admissions policy, with model answers.
Reviewed by Dr Akash Gandhi, NHS GP and a Cambridge and UCL graduate (GMC register) · Checked against Brunel's official pages: 24 October 2026
Brunel medicine interviews, 2027 entry
Brunel medicine interviews for 2027 entry are asynchronous virtual MMIs (vMMIs): six recorded stations, each 30 seconds' thinking and up to five minutes' answer, about 40 minutes in all, completed online within five days. Home rounds: 16 to 21 February or 9 to 14 March 2027; international rounds run November 2026 to July 2027. No post-interview rate is published.
- Home applicants, 2027 entry
- The week of 16 to 21 February 2027 or of 9 to 14 March 2027 (provisional)
- International applicants, 2027 entry
- Six weeks: 17 to 22 November 2026, 12 to 17 January, 13 to 18 April, 18 to 23 May, 15 to 20 June and 6 to 11 July 2027 (provisional)
- Format
- Asynchronous virtual Multiple Mini Interview (vMMI) on the Shortlister platform: you record your answers and there is no live interviewer
- Delivery
- Online for every applicant; a laptop or tablet and a reliable internet connection, with nothing to download
- Stations
- Six, each assessing a different attribute aligned with Good Medical Practice; 30 seconds' thinking time, then up to five minutes to answer
- Length
- Around 40 minutes in total, with breaks between stations as long as you like
- Deadline
- Five days from the date the invitation email is sent, ending at midnight on the final day
- Knowledge tested
- None: no biology questions and nothing that needs detailed medical knowledge
- How offers are made
- Candidates are ranked on their total vMMI score against a cut-off agreed each year; there is no minimum number of stations to passBrunel University of London, Medicine MBBS course page (2027 entry)
- Post-interview success rate
- Not published: Brunel publishes no count of applicants interviewed, and neither does our profile
Free: The Medicine Interview Guide 2027 (PDF)
An eight-week plan, the frameworks for ethics and role play, five full worked answers with the follow-ups to expect, every school’s interview format, and 20 practice questions with a self-marking sheet. Written by our doctors and dentists.
How does Brunel interview for medicine?
Brunel Medical School interviews Medicine MBBS applicants with an asynchronous virtual Multiple Mini Interview (vMMI), run on a platform called Shortlister. Asynchronous means there is no live interviewer. Each of the six stations shows a question on screen and reads it aloud; you then have 30 seconds to think and up to five minutes to answer to your camera. Your recording is saved and reviewed later by one of Brunel's interview assessors, who include academic staff and NHS clinicians.
Once your invitation arrives you have five days to complete all six stations, at times that suit you. You can take a break of any length between stations, as long as all six are submitted before midnight on the final day. Brunel's interview page says the whole interview takes around 40 minutes; its separate Medicine FAQs page says around 45, so allow for the longer figure.
Each station is designed to assess a different attribute aligned with the GMC's Good Medical Practice. The stations are scenario-based, and Brunel says you will not be asked biology questions or anything that needs detailed medical knowledge.
Two different station timings
Brunel's 2026-27 admissions policy described each station as two minutes' reading and five minutes for the task. The interview page that carries the 2027 dates gives 30 seconds' thinking time and up to five minutes to answer. Follow the interview page and the instructions that come with your invitation.
New to the MMI format? Our MMI preparation guide covers how stations work in general, and our virtual MMI tips cover camera, sound and pacing, so this page stays on what is specific to Brunel.
Source: Brunel University of London, Brunel Medical School, What to expect from the vMMI (2027 entry (interview weeks); format and FAQs undated); Brunel University of London, Medicine FAQs (no year on interview details; application dates stated for 2026 entry); Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF) (2026-27 entry (approved October 2025))
When are Brunel medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
| Applicants | Interview weeks | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Home fee-paying | 16 to 21 February 2027, or 9 to 14 March 2027 | Online, recorded vMMI |
| International fee-paying | 17 to 22 November 2026; 12 to 17 January 2027; 13 to 18 April 2027; 18 to 23 May 2027; 15 to 20 June 2027; 6 to 11 July 2027 | Online, recorded vMMI |
Brunel runs separate rounds for home and international applicants. It calls these weeks provisional and says they may change; if you are invited, it contacts you with your confirmed interview date and time in advance. Its interview page describes the season as usually December to July, but the 2027 list begins with an international week in November 2026.
The five days run from the date your invitation email is sent. Brunel's own example: an invitation sent on a Wednesday gives you until midnight on the following Monday. Shortlister sends a reminder 24 hours before the deadline. Compare Brunel's weeks with your other choices in our UK medical school interview dates table.
Source: Brunel University of London, Brunel Medical School, What to expect from the vMMI (2027 entry (interview weeks); format and FAQs undated); Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF) (2026-27 entry (approved October 2025))
How does Brunel decide who to interview?
Home applicants who meet the academic requirements are ranked on their UCAT or GAMSAT score and the highest scorers are invited, while international applicants need no admissions test and are invited first come, first served once they meet the requirements. The detail is on our Brunel medical school profile, which is the page for that question.
Once you have recorded your vMMI, that score decides the ranking: Brunel ranks candidates on their total vMMI score, and no offer is made without an interview.
Source: Brunel University of London, Medicine MBBS course page (2027 entry); Brunel University of London, Medicine FAQs (no year on interview details; application dates stated for 2026 entry)
What does Brunel assess at interview?
Brunel says each of the six stations assesses a different attribute aligned with Good Medical Practice. Its most recent published admissions policy, written for 2026-27 entry, maps the stations to the GMC's domains and names them:
- Commitment to healthcare.
- Perspective-taking.
- Teamwork.
- Ethical reasoning.
- Resilience and adaptability.
- Data interpretation.
The same policy says communication is assessed in all stations. Brunel's interview page adds its own advice: understand the role of a doctor, reflect on your experiences and be ready to explain your reasoning, and be yourself, because it wants to hear your own motivations, values and passion for medicine, not rehearsed answers.
Check the station list in your invitation
Brunel has not republished the station list for 2027 entry, so treat the six names above as its latest published blueprint. The interview page confirms six stations aligned with Good Medical Practice for 2027.
The seven themes below follow those station names, with communication as a theme of its own. The questions are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Brunel's published guidance. They are not real or leaked Brunel questions, and nothing here comes from students reporting what they were asked.
Source: Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF) (2026-27 entry (approved October 2025)); Brunel University of London, Brunel Medical School, What to expect from the vMMI (2027 entry (interview weeks); format and FAQs undated); Brunel University of London, Brunel Medical School, Vision, mission and values (no year stated)
Brunel medicine interview questions, by theme
Grouped by what Brunel says it assesses. Each question has a note on what a strong answer covers, and the Brunel-specific ones have a full model answer. These are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Brunel's published guidance, not real or leaked questions.
- Commitment to healthcare (1 to 9)
- Perspective-taking (10 to 17)
- Teamwork (18 to 25)
- Ethical reasoning (26 to 34)
- Resilience and adaptability (35 to 42)
- Data interpretation (43 to 50)
- Communication in every station (51 to 58)
Commitment to healthcare
What Brunel says: Brunel's admissions policy names a commitment to healthcare station, mapped to the Good Medical Practice domain of trust and professionalism. Its interview page advises candidates to understand the role of a doctor and reflect on their experiences. Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF)
With only 30 seconds to think, you cannot build a motivation answer from nothing, so know your two or three main experiences well enough to draw on any of them. Brunel says it wants your own voice, not a recited script. Know the Brunel course as well: team-based learning, GP placements from Year 1 and the School House system are all described on its own course page.
- 1
Why do you want to be a doctor, and what have you done to test that decision?
What to cover: Give your starting point in a sentence, then spend most of the answer on how you checked it: the placement, the volunteering or the conversation that could have put you off and did not.
- 2
Why Brunel?
What to cover: Choose two things Brunel actually does, such as team-based learning or patient contact in general practice from Year 1, and explain why they suit you. A sentence about London or rankings tells the assessor nothing about you.
- 3
Brunel uses team-based learning as its main classroom method, in teams of six that stay together for the whole year. How will that suit the way you learn?
What to cover: Describe how you learn best with a real example, then connect it to preparing alone and solving problems as a team. Mention one thing you might find harder, such as relying on others to prepare.
- 4
Brunel students see real patients in general practice from Year 1. What do you hope to learn there that you could not learn on campus?
What to cover: Think about how illness looks from the patient's side, how a GP practice team works, and how to talk to people who are worried. Link it to something you have already seen.
- 5
Why medicine and not another healthcare role, such as nursing or becoming a physician associate?
What to cover: Speak about those roles with respect and accuracy, then give a reason that is about the doctor's role in particular. Our physician associate guide explains how the PA role differs.
- 6
Tell us about one experience that showed you what a doctor's working life is really like.
What to cover: Choose one moment and describe it in detail: what the doctor did, what was hard about it and what it changed in your thinking. One lived moment beats a list of placements.
- 7
What do you know about the training a doctor does after medical school, and does any of it worry you?
What to cover: Walk through the foundation years, specialty training and the exams along the way, then admit one thing that gives you pause. Our medical training pathway guide lays out the stages.
- 8
Brunel is a new medical school whose first students are expected to graduate in 2027. What appeals to you about joining a young school, and what would you want to ask?
What to cover: Be fair in both directions: a chance to help shape a school, and sensible questions about how new courses are checked. Brunel says the GMC is reviewing the course each year as its first cohort moves through.
- 9
If you are not offered a place this year, what will you do?
What to cover: Give a realistic plan that keeps medicine as the goal and sound as if you have thought about it. Our guide to what to do after four rejections covers the options.
Model answer
Why Brunel?
The first reason is how Brunel teaches. Team-based learning means I would prepare on my own and then solve clinical problems with the same team of six for the whole year. At school I learned most in a study group where we had to explain things to each other, and being in a fixed team means you cannot hide when you have not prepared, which I think would be good for me.
The second is the early patient contact. From Year 1, Brunel students go on regular placements in general practice, and they practise consultations with trained simulated patients in rooms that record you so you can watch it back. I volunteered at a pharmacy and found that talking to patients was the part I wanted to get better at, so I want a course that starts that from the beginning.
And I like the support around it. Every Brunel student belongs to a House, with tutors who give academic coaching, and I know I do my best work when someone is checking in on my progress. The elective in Year 5 matters to me too, because I would like to see how medicine works in a completely different setting before I choose a career path.
Go deeper: How to answer "Why medicine?"
Perspective-taking
What Brunel says: Brunel's admissions policy names a perspective-taking station, mapped to the Good Medical Practice standards on establishing partnership with patients, showing respect for patients, and treating patients and colleagues fairly and without discrimination. Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF)
A perspective-taking station asks you to see a situation from someone else's side, often someone whose view differs from yours. Brunel lists being inclusive among its values, and its students come from many countries, so expect scenarios about culture, background and disagreement. Set out the other person's view fairly before you give your own.
- 10
A patient refuses a treatment their doctor thinks would help them. Describe the situation from the patient's point of view.
What to cover: Think about fear, past experiences, beliefs, cost or work and family pressures. Then say how a doctor could find out which of these applies, before trying to change anyone's mind.
- 11
Your team-based learning group includes students from five countries. One of them rarely speaks in discussions. Why might that be, and what would you do?
What to cover: Offer several possible reasons without assuming one, then describe a quiet, practical step, such as asking for their view directly in a small way. Avoid singling them out in front of the group.
- 12
A parent is angry that their child's GP will not prescribe antibiotics for an ear infection. How might the parent see it, and how might the GP?
What to cover: Give each side its strongest case: a worried parent with a child in pain, and a GP thinking about side effects and resistance. Our antibiotic resistance guide has the background.
- 13
Tell us about a time you changed your mind after hearing someone else's view.
What to cover: Pick a real change, however small, and explain what the other person said that moved you. The station rewards openness, so show that you listened before you argued.
- 14
A patient tells you they want to see a more experienced doctor, not a medical student. How do you feel, and what do you do?
What to cover: Accept their right to say no without taking it personally, thank them, and let the supervising doctor know. Consent to seeing a student is the patient's choice.
- 15
Brunel lists being inclusive among its values. What does inclusive care look like for a patient who does not speak English?
What to cover: Talk about professional interpreters, translated information, extra time, and checking understanding. Explain why using a relative to interpret can go wrong.
- 16
A parent tells you they are not sure vaccines are worth the risk for their child. How might they have reached that view, and how would you talk to them?
What to cover: Treat it as a worry to understand: what they have read, who they trust, and what they fear. Then explain that you would listen first and offer clear information without ridicule.
- 17
Describe someone whose life is very different from yours. What have they taught you?
What to cover: Choose a real person from volunteering, work or your community, and say specifically what you now see differently. Keep it respectful and avoid turning them into a lesson about yourself.
Model answer
Your team-based learning group includes students from five countries. One of them rarely speaks in discussions. Why might that be, and what would you do?
There could be lots of reasons, and I would not want to guess which. They might be less confident speaking in English, especially when the discussion moves fast. In some education systems students are expected to listen to the teacher, not argue with each other, so the format itself might feel strange. They might be shy, or worried about being wrong in front of new people, or something might be going on outside the course.
So I would start small. In the next session I might ask them directly what they thought about one part of the problem, in a way that is easy to answer, and make sure the group actually listens when they speak. Outside the session I could just talk to them, ask how they are finding the course, and maybe offer to go through the preparation together.
If it carried on and they seemed to be struggling, I would gently mention the House tutor or the support team. The point of team-based learning is that everyone contributes, and a team that lets one person go quiet loses what that person knows.
Go deeper: Empathy and sympathy at interview
Teamwork
What Brunel says: Brunel's admissions policy names a teamwork station, mapped to the Good Medical Practice standard to work collaboratively with colleagues. Its mission is to nurture healthcare professionals who care for patients with kindness, professionalism and teamwork. Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF)
Teamwork runs through the whole Brunel course, from team-based learning in the classroom to learning alongside physiotherapists, physician associates and nurses in general practice. In a recorded answer nobody can ask a follow-up question, so give a specific example, say what you did, and finish with what you learned.
- 18
Tell us about a team you were part of that did not work well. What was your part in it?
What to cover: Own some of it, identify what actually went wrong, such as unclear roles or poor communication, and say what you would do differently. Blaming everyone else wastes the five minutes.
- 19
In team-based learning, your team's work depends on everyone preparing beforehand. One member keeps arriving unprepared. What do you do?
What to cover: Find out why before judging, because there may be a problem in their life. Then agree clear expectations as a team, and involve a tutor only if it carries on.
- 20
Describe a time you led a group. What did you learn about leadership?
What to cover: Show leadership as getting the best from other people, with a real decision you made and how the group reacted. What you got wrong is often more convincing than what went right.
- 21
You are the most junior member of a team and think a decision could harm a patient. What do you do?
What to cover: Ask a question first, give your reason, and accept a good explanation. If you are still worried about safety, escalate it; rank should not stop a safety concern being raised.
- 22
Brunel students learn from and with physiotherapists, physician associates and nurses from Year 1. Why does that matter for patients?
What to cover: Talk about understanding what each profession does, referring well, and respecting other people's expertise. Give an example of a patient who needs several professions at once.
- 23
Who works in a GP practice besides the doctors, and what does each person contribute?
What to cover: Name practice nurses, receptionists, pharmacists, healthcare assistants and others, and say what each does. Show that a good GP relies on all of them.
- 24
Why do handovers between shifts or teams cause errors, and what makes a good one?
What to cover: Information gets lost, people assume, everyone is tired and handovers often lack structure. A good one is structured, spoken and written, with a chance to ask questions.
- 25
What makes you a good team member, and what do teams sometimes find hard about working with you?
What to cover: Give one real strength with an example, then a real habit that others have found difficult and what you now do about it. Self-awareness is what this question is testing.
Model answer
In team-based learning, your team's work depends on everyone preparing beforehand. One member keeps arriving unprepared. What do you do?
First I would want to understand why, before anyone decides they are lazy. I would talk to them on their own, not in front of the team, and just ask how they are finding it. They might be working a job, struggling with something at home, or finding the preparation harder than they let on.
If it is a practical problem, the team could help: sharing notes on how we prepare, or splitting the reading so it feels manageable. If it is something bigger, I would encourage them to speak to their tutor or the student support team, because they should not be dealing with it alone.
If nothing changes after that, I think the team should agree together what we expect from each other, and if it still carries on, mention it to the tutor. It is not about getting someone into trouble. In team-based learning everyone depends on everyone else, and on a ward the same is true, except a patient pays the price.
Go deeper: The multidisciplinary team explained
Interview preparation
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Ethical reasoning
What Brunel says: Brunel's admissions policy names an ethical reasoning station, mapped to the Good Medical Practice domain of colleagues, culture and safety, including contributing to systems that protect patients and responding to risks to safety. Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF)
In a recorded station you reason out loud to a camera, so a clear structure helps: whose interests are at stake, what you would need to know, what you would do, and what would change your mind. Brunel says its stations explore how you think, so the reasoning is marked as well as the conclusion. Our guide to answering ethics questions gives you a framework.
- 26
A patient with capacity refuses a treatment that would probably save their life. What should happen?
What to cover: Check they have capacity for this decision and understand the consequences, explore their reasons and offer alternatives. Then respect the decision; our capacity guide explains the test.
- 27
A 15-year-old asks a GP for contraception and does not want her parents told. What are the issues?
What to cover: Consider whether she is competent to consent, her right to confidentiality, and any signs she is at risk. Our Gillick competence guide sets out the test doctors use.
- 28
You smell alcohol on a doctor's breath at the start of a shift on your placement. What do you do?
What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so act today. As a student, tell your supervisor or a senior person promptly. Our whistleblowing guide covers how concerns are raised.
- 29
A friend asks you to look up their relative's test results on the hospital system. What do you say?
What to cover: Say no kindly and without hesitation. Viewing records with no clinical reason breaks confidentiality and the law; our confidentiality guide covers where the line sits.
- 30
Should the NHS treat illnesses linked to lifestyle, such as smoking-related disease, in the same way as any other?
What to cover: Separate clinical facts from moral blame. Discuss addiction, the social causes of unhealthy habits and what the NHS commits to, then come to a reasoned view.
- 31
A patient asks you not to tell their family about a serious diagnosis. The family keep asking you. What do you do?
What to cover: The patient's wishes come first, so do not share. Be kind to the family, explain that you cannot discuss it, and gently encourage the patient to think about who they want to know.
- 32
Is it ever acceptable to lie to a patient?
What to cover: Explain why trust depends on truthfulness and why the GMC expects candour. Distinguish lying from choosing how and when to share difficult news with a patient who is not ready for every detail.
- 33
A friend tells you they used an AI tool to write their answers during a recorded interview for medical school. What do you think, and what would you do?
What to cover: Explain why it is dishonest and unfair to other applicants, and why probity matters for doctors. Brunel itself withdraws applicants it believes used AI. Encourage your friend to tell the school what happened.
- 34
An AI tool suggests a diagnosis that the doctor thinks is wrong. Who is responsible for the decision?
What to cover: The doctor is, and must be able to explain the decision. Discuss what AI does well, its risks such as bias, and why doctors must question it. Our AI in medicine guide has examples.
Model answer
A friend tells you they used an AI tool to write their answers during a recorded interview for medical school. What do you think, and what would you do?
I would think it was wrong, and I would tell them that, kindly. A recorded interview only works if the answers are your own. Brunel, for example, says the answers must be your own work and that it withdraws an application if it believes AI was used. It also asks candidates to make notes on paper, not by typing, partly for that reason.
It is also unfair. Places are limited, and someone who answered fairly might lose a place to someone who did not. And it matters because of what the interview is trying to find out. Doctors are trusted to tell the truth when nobody is checking, and the GMC treats probity as part of being fit to practise. Starting a medical career with something hidden is a bad foundation.
So I would encourage my friend to contact the medical school and explain what happened. I would not report them behind their back straight away, because they should have the chance to put it right themselves. But I would not pretend it was fine, and I would not help them do it again.
Go deeper: The four pillars of medical ethics
Resilience and adaptability
What Brunel says: Brunel's admissions policy names a resilience and adaptability station, mapped to the Good Medical Practice domain of knowledge, skills and development. Its mission includes a holistic system of student support focused on wellbeing and resilience. Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF)
Brunel says studying medicine can be challenging, especially far from home, and it builds support around that: a School House system with tutors and a student support and wellbeing team. These questions look for evidence that you can cope with setbacks, adapt when plans change, and ask for help early.
- 35
Tell us about a setback that affected you. How did you recover?
What to cover: Be specific about what happened and how it felt, then about the practical steps you took and who helped. Recovery is usually a process, so describe it as one.
- 36
Describe a time your plans changed at short notice. How did you adapt?
What to cover: Choose something real, explain what you did first and how you decided, and what you would do the same next time. Calm, practical thinking is what the station rewards.
- 37
In Years 3 and 4 Brunel students rotate through hospitals and GP practices across Greater London and the South East, returning to campus every six weeks. How would you cope with that much change?
What to cover: Think about travel, joining new teams often and keeping up study between placements. Give one habit that already helps you adapt, and say what you would still find hard.
- 38
How do you know when stress is becoming too much for you, and what do you do?
What to cover: Name your own warning signs and what you actually do about them. Asking for help early is the answer the assessor wants to hear.
- 39
Many Brunel students move from another country to study. If you were far from home and finding it hard, what would you do?
What to cover: Be practical: a routine, staying in touch, finding people with shared interests, and knowing where support sits, such as a House tutor. Show you would not wait until things were bad.
- 40
Tell us about something you kept working at when it would have been easier to stop.
What to cover: Choose something that cost you real effort over weeks or months, explain what kept you going, and what you learned. A modest example told well beats a dramatic one.
- 41
You receive feedback on placement that you think is unfair. How do you respond?
What to cover: Thank them, ask for an example, reflect before reacting, and look for what is true in it. If you still disagree, discuss it calmly with your tutor.
- 42
Medicine involves seeing people suffer and die. How have you prepared yourself for that?
What to cover: Admit you cannot fully prepare, describe any experience you have had and how you processed it, and say who you would talk to. Admitting that is a strength, not a weakness.
Model answer
You receive feedback on placement that you think is unfair. How do you respond?
My first reaction would probably be to feel defensive, so the first thing I would do is not respond straight away. I would thank the person and ask for a specific example, because feedback that feels unfair often makes more sense once you know exactly what they saw.
Then I would think about it properly. Even if most of it seems wrong, there is usually something in it. If they said I seemed disengaged on a ward round, maybe I was standing at the back because I did not want to get in the way, and that looked like a lack of interest. That is worth knowing.
If I still disagreed after thinking it through, I would talk to my tutor calmly and ask what they thought. Brunel gives frequent feedback from peers and educators and pairs assessment with academic coaching, so learning to take feedback well is part of the course from the start. A doctor who cannot hear criticism stops improving.
Go deeper: Mental health in the NHS
Data interpretation
What Brunel says: Brunel's admissions policy names a data interpretation station, mapped to the Good Medical Practice domain of knowledge, skills and development, including applying knowledge and experience to practice. Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF)
Brunel says it will not ask biology questions or anything that needs detailed medical knowledge, so a data station tests how you read figures and reason about them, not what you have memorised. Say what the numbers show, what they do not show, and what you would want to know next. Our guide to reading a medical paper covers the basics.
- 43
A GP practice reports that missed appointments rose from 5% to 8% this year. What might explain it, and what would you want to know before acting?
What to cover: List possible causes, such as booking changes, longer waits or transport, then the data you would check: who misses, at what times and how they booked. Avoid jumping to a fix.
- 44
A new drug reduces the risk of a heart attack from 2 in 100 to 1 in 100. Explain to a patient what that means.
What to cover: Give both versions: the risk halves, but for each person it falls by one percentage point, so about 100 people take it to prevent one heart attack. Then mention side effects.
- 45
A newspaper says people who drink coffee live longer. What questions would you ask before believing it?
What to cover: Ask how the study was done, how many people, and what else differs between coffee drinkers and others. Explain that a link between two things does not prove one causes the other.
- 46
One hospital's death rate is higher than its neighbour's. Does that mean it is worse?
What to cover: Not necessarily: it may treat sicker patients, offer specialist services or record deaths differently. Say what you would compare to make the figures fair.
- 47
A screening test is described as 95% accurate. A patient tests positive. How worried should they be?
What to cover: Explain that it depends on how common the condition is: when a condition is rare, many positive results are false alarms. Then say the patient needs a confirmatory test and a clear explanation.
- 48
Waiting times in an emergency department fell after a new triage system started. What else could explain the fall?
What to cover: Think about the season, fewer attendances, extra staff or a change in how waits are measured. A good answer suggests how to test whether the new system caused it.
- 49
Vaccination rates are lower in some parts of a city than others. What might explain the difference, and what would you do with the information?
What to cover: Consider access, trust, language, deprivation and how the data were collected. Our health inequalities guide covers why areas differ.
- 50
Estimate how many GP appointments happen in a week in a town of 100,000 people, saying each assumption out loud.
What to cover: The method is what counts: estimate how often a person sees a GP in a year, multiply by the population and divide by weeks. Our MMI calculation guide shows the approach.
Model answer
A new drug reduces the risk of a heart attack from 2 in 100 to 1 in 100. Explain to a patient what that means.
I would start with a picture they can hold on to. "Imagine 100 people like you who don't take the medicine. Over the time of the study, about 2 of them would have a heart attack. If all 100 took it, about 1 would. So the medicine halves the risk, but for any one person the chance goes from 2 in 100 to 1 in 100."
Then I would explain the other way of looking at it. "Another way to say it is that about 100 people need to take the medicine for one of them to avoid a heart attack. The other 99 take it without that particular benefit, either because they would have been fine anyway or because they have a heart attack regardless."
And I would make sure they had the full picture before deciding: any side effects, how long they would take it, and what matters most to them. Then I would check they had understood by asking them to tell me in their own words. A headline that says "halves the risk" is true, but on its own it can make a small benefit sound much bigger.
Go deeper: Data interpretation stations
Communication in every station
What Brunel says: Brunel's admissions policy says communication is assessed in all stations, mapped to the Good Medical Practice standard to communicate effectively. The course teaches communication with trained simulated patients from the first weeks of Year 1. Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF)
Communication is marked in every station, and in a recorded vMMI there is nobody in front of you to nod or prompt. Look at the camera, speak at a steady pace, and give each answer a clear beginning, middle and end. Brunel suggests practising on a video call and recording yourself, then watching it back. Where a question asks you to speak to someone, talk to the camera as if it were that person.
- 51
Speaking to the camera as if to the patient: explain to an anxious patient why they need a blood test, in words they will understand.
What to cover: Acknowledge the worry first, explain simply what the test is for and what will happen, and invite questions. Finish by checking what they have understood.
- 52
Speaking to the camera as if to a nine-year-old: explain why washing your hands stops germs spreading.
What to cover: Use short words, one simple picture and a little warmth. Check understanding by asking them to show or tell you when they would wash their hands.
- 53
Your housemate on the course has failed an exam and says they want to leave medicine. Record what you would say to them.
What to cover: Listen before you advise: acknowledge how they feel, ask what is behind it and check they are safe. Point them to their tutor or student support without pushing them either way.
- 54
You volunteer at a care home and have to tell a resident that their family cannot visit today as planned. Record what you would say.
What to cover: Say it early and plainly, acknowledge the disappointment, and offer something practical, such as a phone or video call. Do not make promises you cannot keep.
- 55
Describe a time you had to explain something complicated. How did you check the other person understood?
What to cover: Give a specific example, then describe the check: asking them to explain it back or watching whether they could do the task. Asking "does that make sense?" is not a check.
- 56
How would you adapt a conversation with a patient whose first language is not English?
What to cover: Talk about professional interpreters, short sentences, avoiding jargon and checking understanding. Mention why family members are a poor substitute for an interpreter.
- 57
What makes someone a good listener, and how would you show it on a video call with a patient?
What to cover: Describe the behaviour, such as letting them finish and summarising, then the video version: looking at the camera, pausing for delays and checking they can hear. Our telemedicine guide has the background.
- 58
Brunel students practise consultations in video-equipped rooms with trained simulated patients and then watch themselves back. What do you expect to learn from seeing yourself on video?
What to cover: Name habits you might spot, such as interrupting or looking away, and say how you would use the feedback. If you practised for this interview on video, say what you noticed.
Model answer
Speaking to the camera as if to the patient: explain to an anxious patient why they need a blood test, in words they will understand.
"I can see you're a bit nervous about this, and that's completely normal. Lots of people feel the same. Can I explain what the test is for and what will happen, and then you can ask me anything you like?"
"Your doctor wants to check a few things in your blood, like whether you're low on iron, which could explain why you've been feeling so tired. The test itself takes a couple of minutes. The nurse will put a small band around your arm, clean the skin and take a little blood with a thin needle. You might feel a sharp scratch, and if you'd like to lie down, or look away, or squeeze a hand, that's fine."
"The results usually come back in a few days, and the practice will tell you how you'll hear about them. Is there anything that's worrying you in particular? And just so I know I've explained it properly, could you tell me in your own words what's going to happen?"
Go deeper: Virtual MMI tips
How is the Brunel vMMI scored?
Each of your six recorded answers is marked, and Brunel's admissions policy says your final score is the sum of the six marks. Candidates are ranked on that total, with no minimum number of stations to pass, so a weaker station can be made up elsewhere. The vMMI scores go to Brunel's Admissions Committee, which agrees a cut-off score each year based on how the cohort performed.
Applicants at or above the cut-off may be offered a place or, with their permission, added to a waiting list, depending on how many places are left. Applicants below it may be rejected. Home applicants who meet the Widening Access criteria in Brunel's Medicine Admissions Policy and succeed at the vMMI may receive a lower contextual offer.
Source: Brunel University of London, Medicine MBBS course page (2027 entry); Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF) (2026-27 entry (approved October 2025)); Brunel University of London, Medicine FAQs (no year on interview details; application dates stated for 2026 entry)
What do I need for the Brunel vMMI, and what is not allowed?
- Equipment: a laptop or tablet and a reliable internet connection. You log in through the link in your invitation; Shortlister needs no app or software download.
- Photo ID: before you start, you verify your identity with Yoti, an online ID check built into Shortlister. Have a valid passport, driving licence, Biometric Residence Permit or other government-issued photo ID ready. If you are unsure your ID is suitable, contact support@shortlister.com before you begin.
- The practice area: your invitation includes a link to a practice area with automated feedback. Nothing you record there is reviewed or assessed, so use it to get used to answering a camera.
- Notes: you may make notes during the 30 seconds' thinking time, but on pen and paper only. Brunel says typing may be flagged by the system as possible AI use.
- No AI tools: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and similar tools are not allowed. If Brunel has reason to believe AI was used, your application is withdrawn.
- No re-recording: once a response is submitted it cannot be recorded again. If something goes wrong technically, contact support@shortlister.com straight away; in some circumstances a re-recording may be allowed.
- Adjustments: if you need extra time or another reasonable adjustment, email bms-admissions@brunel.ac.uk as early as you can. Brunel encourages applicants to declare any disability or health condition when they apply.
Source: Brunel University of London, Brunel Medical School, What to expect from the vMMI (2027 entry (interview weeks); format and FAQs undated); Brunel University of London, Medicine FAQs (no year on interview details; application dates stated for 2026 entry); Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF) (2026-27 entry (approved October 2025))
What happens after the Brunel interview?
Brunel does not publish a decision date. After each interview round, applicants are ranked by score and those with the highest scores are made an offer. Applicants who score highly but miss out may be placed on a waiting list, which Brunel reviews regularly and uses in rank order as places come free, so a waiting-list offer can come later in the cycle.
Offers may be conditional on your grades or academically unconditional, and every offer depends on an enhanced criminal record check and occupational health clearance. Brunel asks applicants to complete a criminal convictions disclaimer on its eVision portal. If you are unsuccessful after the vMMI, you can ask for feedback: Brunel tells you which decile of the ranking you reached, but not your marks at individual stations or your exact rank.
Source: Brunel University of London, Medicine FAQs (no year on interview details; application dates stated for 2026 entry); Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF) (2026-27 entry (approved October 2025)); Brunel University of London, Medicine MBBS course page (2027 entry)
Practise a Brunel-style interview
A timed mock in the format Brunel uses, built from the themes Brunel publishes. Record yourself, then mark it against the pointers above.
Common mistakes at the Brunel interview
- 1
Leaving it to the last day
You have five days, and a technical problem on the final evening leaves little time to fix it. Do the practice area first, then record your stations early in the window.
- 2
Typing notes on your computer
Brunel allows notes in the 30 seconds' thinking time, but on pen and paper. Typing may be flagged by the system as possible AI use.
- 3
Using AI, or reading a script
AI tools are banned and suspected use means withdrawal. A memorised script is not banned, but Brunel says it wants your own voice, and a recited answer rarely fits the question asked.
- 4
Revising science for the interview
Brunel says there are no biology questions and nothing that needs detailed medical knowledge. Spend the time practising answers out loud against a five-minute timer.
- 5
Talking to the screen, not the camera
Your assessor sees only the recording. Look at the camera, check your light and sound, and keep your face in frame for the whole answer.
- 6
Hoping to re-record a weak station
A submitted answer cannot be recorded again unless there was a technical fault. Treat every station as final, and use the breaks between stations to reset.
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FAQs
Brunel medicine interview: common questions
Does Brunel interview for medicine?
Yes. Brunel makes no medicine offers without an interview, and every invited applicant, home or international, completes an asynchronous virtual Multiple Mini Interview (vMMI) of six recorded stations online.
Not every applicant is invited: home applicants are ranked on the UCAT or GAMSAT, and international applicants who meet the requirements are invited in the order they apply.
When are Brunel medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
Home fee-paying applicants interview in the week of 16 to 21 February 2027 or of 9 to 14 March 2027. International fee-paying applicants are spread across six weeks: 17 to 22 November 2026, 12 to 17 January, 13 to 18 April, 18 to 23 May, 15 to 20 June and 6 to 11 July 2027.
Brunel says the dates are provisional and may change, and confirms your date and time when it invites you. Compare other schools in our interview dates table.
When will I hear whether I have a Brunel medicine interview?
Brunel does not publish an invitation date; invitations come by email, and its admissions policy expects them to start from November or December of the year before entry.
Brunel says it contacts invited applicants with their confirmed interview date and time in advance, and the five days to record run from the date the invitation email is sent. International applicants are invited first come, first served once they meet the requirements, so applying early helps.
Are Brunel medicine interviews online or in person?
Online, for every applicant. Brunel holds all its medicine interviews online through the Shortlister platform, and there is no live interviewer: you record your answers and an assessor reviews them later.
How many stations are in the Brunel vMMI, and how long is it?
Six stations, taking around 40 minutes in total. Each station shows a question on screen and reads it aloud, then gives you 30 seconds to think and up to five minutes to answer.
You can take breaks of any length between stations, as long as all six are submitted within five days. Brunel's Medicine FAQs page gives around 45 minutes, so allow for that.
What does Brunel look for at interview?
Brunel says each station assesses a different attribute aligned with Good Medical Practice, and its latest published admissions policy names the stations as commitment to healthcare, perspective-taking, teamwork, ethical reasoning, resilience and adaptability, and data interpretation, with communication assessed in all six.
Its interview page asks you to understand the role of a doctor, reflect on your experiences, explain your reasoning and be yourself.
How does Brunel choose who to interview for medicine?
Home applicants who meet the academic requirements are ranked on their UCAT or GAMSAT score and the highest scorers are invited; international applicants need no admissions test and are invited first come, first served once they meet the requirements. The detail is on our Brunel medical school profile.
How competitive is the Brunel medicine interview?
Brunel does not publish how many applicants it interviews, so there is no official post-interview offer rate, and our profile has no interviewed count either.
What Brunel does publish is how the decision is made: candidates are ranked on their total vMMI score, a cut-off is agreed each year based on how the cohort performed, and offers go to those at or above it as places allow, with a waiting list for the rest.
Are international applicants interviewed differently at Brunel?
In timing, yes; in format, no. International fee-paying applicants sit the same six-station recorded vMMI, but in their own rounds, spread across six weeks from November 2026 to July 2027.
They do not need the UCAT or GAMSAT, are invited in the order they apply once they meet the requirements, and can apply through UCAS or directly to Brunel by 30 June 2027, a deadline that may close earlier if places fill. Our international students guide covers the wider process.
When will I hear from Brunel after my interview?
Brunel does not publish a decision date. After each interview round it ranks applicants by score, makes offers to the highest scorers and may place others who scored well on a waiting list, which can lead to an offer later in the cycle.
Unsuccessful applicants can ask for feedback and are told which decile of the ranking they reached.
Can I reschedule a Brunel medicine interview?
Only in exceptional circumstances. Brunel grants extensions to the five-day window only in exceptional circumstances, and says holidays, exams, coursework deadlines and work would not normally count.
If you need more time, email bms-admissions@brunel.ac.uk as soon as you can. If your interview falls in an earlier round, Brunel says it may be possible to move you to a later one.
Can I make notes, use AI or re-record during the Brunel vMMI?
You can make notes on pen and paper during the 30 seconds' thinking time, but you cannot use AI tools or re-record a station once it is submitted.
Brunel says typing notes may be flagged as possible AI use, and that if it believes AI was used your application is withdrawn. A re-recording may be allowed only after a technical problem reported to support@shortlister.com.
Where these facts come from
- Brunel University of London, Brunel Medical School, What to expect from the vMMI (2027 entry (interview weeks); format and FAQs undated)
- Brunel University of London, Medicine MBBS course page (2027 entry)
- Brunel University of London, Medicine FAQs (no year on interview details; application dates stated for 2026 entry)
- Brunel University of London, Admissions Policy and Procedure, including the Brunel Medical School Admissions Policy and its Appendix 1 blueprint (PDF) (2026-27 entry (approved October 2025))
- Brunel University of London, Brunel Medical School, Vision, mission and values (no year stated)
Last checked: 24 October 2026. Universities change interview arrangements during the cycle, so confirm on Brunel's own page before you travel or book. The questions above are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Brunel's published guidance; they are not real or leaked interview questions.
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