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Medicine interviews, 2027 entry
Buckingham Medicine Interview Questions (2027 Entry)
How the University of Buckingham Medical School selects for its January-start MB ChB, what it has and has not published about its online Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and selection days, how UCAS and direct applications are treated, and 58 practice questions built on Good Medical Practice, the GMC guidance Buckingham names for every task, with model answers.
Reviewed by Dr Akash Gandhi, NHS GP and a Cambridge and UCL graduate (GMC register) · Checked against Buckingham's official pages: 24 October 2026
Buckingham medicine interviews, 2027 entry
Buckingham selects for its January-start MB ChB with an online Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) of tasks based on the GMC's Good Medical Practice, after academic screening and, in its 2024 standards, a computer-based assessment. It has not published selection days for its next intake, the station count or the length, and publishes no post-interview offer rate.
- Selection days, 2027 entry
- Not published: the MB ChB course page says upcoming dates will be featured soonUniversity of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published)
- Start date
- January only; the course page now lists the January 2028 startUniversity of Buckingham, Term dates (2025/26 to 2027/28)
- Last published pattern
- For the January 2027 intake, the medical school listed MMA days on 18 November, 4 December and 18 December 2025 and an MMI day printed as 8 January 2025University of Buckingham Medical School applicant site, home page (Apply to us; selection days) (January 2026 and January 2027 intakes)
- Format
- Multiple Mini Interview (MMI): a circuit of tasks testing abilities related to Good Medical PracticeUniversity of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published)
- Delivery
- Online: Buckingham's standards say all MMAs and MMIs are conducted onlineUniversity of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025)
- Computer-based test
- A Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA) before the MMI is described in the 2024 standards and on the medical school's applicant site; the course page lists two stages onlyUniversity of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025)
- Stations and length
- Not published
- Applying
- Through UCAS or directly on Buckingham's website, processed the same way; direct applications stay open until shortly before the course startsUniversity of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published)
- How offers are made
- Candidates are ranked on their total score across stations; the Faculty Executive sets the offer threshold each yearUniversity of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025)
- Post-interview success rate
- Not published: Buckingham publishes no interview or offer figures, 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 Buckingham interview for medicine?
The University of Buckingham selects for its MB ChB with a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). Its course page describes the MMI as a series of tasks intended to test abilities related to Good Medical Practice, the GMC's guidance for doctors, and says its purpose is to judge personal attributes relating to suitability for practice as a doctor. Buckingham's Standards for Admission and Selection say all MMAs and MMIs are conducted online, and its Pre-Med page calls the MMI digital.
Each station is scored against a checklist defined in advance, your scores are added up across the stations, and candidates are ranked on the total. Buckingham does not publish how many stations there are, how long each lasts, or how long the whole MMI takes. The interview is conducted in English, and you must show photographic ID.
Two stages or three?
Buckingham's public course and Selection Days pages describe two stages: academic screening, then the MMI. Its 2024 Standards for Admission and Selection and the medical school's applicant site describe three: academic screening, a computer-based Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA) testing analysis, interpretation and judgement, then the MMI, which the applicant site also calls an Objective Structured Selection Examination (OSSE). The Selection Days page still says exceptionally high performers may receive an offer after stage 2. Your invitation will tell you which you are sitting.
Buckingham also says the use of artificial intelligence within the MMI is not permitted, and that any suspicion of AI use will be investigated and may exclude you from that event and all future ones. New to the MMI format? Our MMI preparation guide covers how stations work, and our virtual MMI tips cover interviewing online.
Source: University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published); University of Buckingham Medical School, Selection Days (no year stated); University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025); University of Buckingham Medical School applicant site, Selection procedures (no year stated); University of Buckingham, CertHE in Pre-Medical and Health Studies course page (September 2027 start)
When are Buckingham medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
Buckingham has not published its next selection days. Its MB ChB course page, which now shows the January 2028 start, says only that upcoming dates will be featured soon. The MB ChB starts in January and follows its own academic calendar, so its selection timetable does not line up with the September-start schools. The medical school's applicant site also says applications for the January 2027 intake were paused from 20 May because of unprecedented demand.
| Intake | Selection days as published |
|---|---|
| January 2026 | MMA: 30 September, 16 October, 6 November, 18 November and 4 December 2025. MMI: 25 September, 9 October, 23 October, 13 November, 27 November and 11 December 2025 |
| January 2027 | MMA: 18 November, 4 December and 18 December 2025. MMI: printed as 8 January 2025, which cannot be right for this intake |
Buckingham says it holds numerous selection days during each admissions cycle, and the last two intakes show them spread over several months, not packed into one week. Its Pre-Med course page says Pre-Med selection events generally start from February each year. Check the MB ChB course page for new dates, and compare other schools in our UK medical school interview dates table.
Source: University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published); University of Buckingham, Term dates (2025/26 to 2027/28); University of Buckingham Medical School applicant site, home page (Apply to us; selection days) (January 2026 and January 2027 intakes); University of Buckingham Medical School, Selection Days (no year stated); University of Buckingham, CertHE in Pre-Medical and Health Studies course page (September 2027 start)
How does Buckingham decide who to interview?
Buckingham screens applications on academic achievement, with no admissions test such as the UCAT in its published entry requirements, and its standards say every applicant who has the threshold grades is invited to the next stage. The entry requirements are on our Buckingham medical school profile, which is the page for that question.
After that, Buckingham's standards say the decision to offer a place rests entirely on the MMA or MMI. It also says the ability to pay fees is not intended to make up for academic achievement below what other UK medical schools expect.
Source: University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published); University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025); University of Buckingham, Admissions FAQs (no year stated)
What does Buckingham assess at interview?
Buckingham's answer is short: every task judges aspects of suitability for a healthcare career as described in Good Medical Practice, and the computer-based assessment tests analysis, interpretation and judgement related to the same guidance. Its course aims to train highly ethical, honest and compassionate doctors who will put the patient first.
Good Medical Practice groups a doctor's duties into four domains, and the themes below follow them, with a theme for motivation and one for Buckingham's analysis, interpretation and judgement wording:
- Knowledge, skills and development.
- Patients, partnership and communication.
- Colleagues, culture and safety.
- Trust and professionalism.
Which edition of Good Medical Practice
Buckingham's pages link to the 2013 edition of Good Medical Practice. The GMC replaced it with a new edition in 2024, organised into the four domains above, so prepare from the current one. Our summary of the 2024 changes sets out what moved.
The questions are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from that guidance and Buckingham's own course pages. They are not real or leaked Buckingham questions, and nothing here comes from students reporting what they were asked.
Source: University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published); University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025); University of Buckingham, Medical School (no year stated); University of Buckingham, Locations and Travel Requirements (no year stated)
Buckingham medicine interview questions, by theme
Grouped by what Buckingham says it assesses. Each question has a note on what a strong answer covers, and the Buckingham-specific ones have a full model answer. These are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Buckingham's published guidance, not real or leaked questions.
- Motivation and the Buckingham course (1 to 10)
- Patients, partnership and communication (11 to 20)
- Colleagues, culture and safety (21 to 29)
- Trust and professionalism (30 to 39)
- Knowledge, skills and development (40 to 48)
- Analysis, interpretation and judgement (49 to 58)
Motivation and the Buckingham course
What Buckingham says: Buckingham says the second stage of selection, the MMI, is intended to judge personal attributes relating to suitability for practice as a doctor. University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page
Buckingham is unlike most UK medical schools: an independent, not-for-profit school with a four-and-a-half-year degree that starts in January, two campuses at Buckingham and Crewe, and small groups by design. Expect to explain why medicine, and also why this course and this route suit you.
- 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 Buckingham?
What to cover: Use what Buckingham says about itself: small ratios of students to teachers and patients, early patient contact, and the Narrative Medicine course. Then explain why those suit you. Avoid making the answer about how to get in.
- 3
Buckingham's MB ChB is condensed into four and a half years. What will that demand of you, and how have you prepared for it?
What to cover: Think about a heavier year, shorter breaks and keeping up from the start. Give evidence that you can sustain hard work over a long period, and say what you would do if you started to fall behind.
- 4
The course starts in January. What will you do with the months before it begins?
What to cover: Give a concrete plan, such as paid care work, volunteering or reading, and say what each would add. It shows you think about time as part of preparing for medicine.
- 5
Some people say private medical schools are unfair because not everyone can pay the fees. What do you think?
What to cover: Give both sides fairly: fees limit who can apply, but more training places can mean more doctors. Buckingham itself says ability to pay should not make up for weaker grades. Reach your own view without getting defensive.
- 6
Why medicine and not another healthcare profession?
What to cover: Speak about the other roles with respect and accuracy, then give a reason that is about the doctor's role in particular, such as diagnosis and carrying responsibility for the overall plan.
- 7
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.
- 8
In Years 3 and 4, Buckingham students are based at a partner hospital and are expected to move close to it. How do you feel about that?
What to cover: Show you have read it: you do not choose where you go, and placements can be some distance from campus. Say what would help you settle and what you might find hard.
- 9
What do you know about the training a doctor does after medical school?
What to cover: Walk through the foundation years, specialty training and the exams along the way. Our medical training pathway guide lays out the stages.
- 10
If you are not offered a place this time, what will you do?
What to cover: Give a realistic plan that keeps medicine as the goal. Buckingham's own Pre-Med certificate is one route some applicants are offered, and our guide to what to do after rejections covers others.
Model answer
Why Buckingham?
The main reason is the size of the teaching. Buckingham keeps the ratio of students to clinical teachers and patients low, all the way through, so that students see a wide range of patients and doctors. When I did my work experience, the most useful days were the ones where a doctor had time to talk to me between patients, and I want that kind of teaching.
The second is the Narrative Medicine course. Each student is given a patient to keep in contact with over time. I volunteered with an older man through a befriending scheme for a year, and I learned more about living with a long-term illness from him than from anything I read. I like that Buckingham builds that into the degree.
And the shape of the course suits me. It is four and a half years starting in January, which will be intense, but I worked part time all through sixth form and I know I can keep going under pressure. I also like that the early clinical skills teaching takes you out to GP practices and hospitals from the first year.
Go deeper: How to answer "Why medicine?"
Patients, partnership and communication
What Buckingham says: Buckingham's MMI is a series of tasks testing abilities related to Good Medical Practice. Its course aims to train doctors who will put the patient first, and says that by the end of Phase 1 students will be able to communicate effectively with patients. University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page
Putting the patient first is the phrase Buckingham uses most about its graduates. In an online station that means listening properly, explaining clearly and checking understanding, all through a screen. Look at the camera, slow down a little, and leave pauses so the other person can speak.
- 11
A patient is anxious about a blood test and asks why they need it. Explain it 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.
- 12
Your elderly neighbour is confused by the leaflet for a new medicine. Help them.
What to cover: Ask what they already understand, explain the main points in plain words, and ask them to tell it back. If anything is beyond you, send them to the pharmacist.
- 13
A patient's daughter is angry that nobody has told her what is happening to her father. Talk to her.
What to cover: Let her speak, acknowledge that not knowing is frightening, and do not get defensive. Explain that you cannot share his information without his consent, and offer to find someone who can help.
- 14
As part of Buckingham's Narrative Medicine course, you are assigned a patient to stay in contact with. What would you want to learn from them, and how would you build their trust?
What to cover: Talk about their experience of illness, care and daily life, and about consistency, confidentiality and listening without judging. Show you see them as a person, not a case.
- 15
How would you adapt a consultation for a patient whose first language is not English?
What to cover: Talk about professional interpreters, short sentences, avoiding jargon and checking understanding. Explain why using a family member to interpret can go wrong.
- 16
Explain to a nine-year-old why they need a vaccination.
What to cover: Use short words, one simple picture of how the body learns to fight a germ, and check they have understood. Be truthful that it might sting for a moment.
- 17
A patient tells you they have been searching online and are sure they have a serious illness. How do you respond?
What to cover: Take the worry seriously, ask what they read and why it frightened them, and avoid dismissing them. Explain what the doctor will do to find out, and offer reliable sources.
- 18
What does shared decision-making mean, and why does it matter?
What to cover: Explain that the doctor brings the evidence and the patient brings their values, and the decision is made together. Our informed consent guide covers the principles behind it.
- 19
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.
- 20
How would you build rapport with a patient on a video call?
What to cover: Talk about looking at the camera, introducing yourself clearly, checking they can see and hear you, allowing for delays and summarising. Our telemedicine guide has the background.
Model answer
As part of Buckingham's Narrative Medicine course, you are assigned a patient to stay in contact with. What would you want to learn from them, and how would you build their trust?
I would want to learn what their illness is like to live with, day to day, not just what is written in their notes. How it affects their work, their family and their sleep, what has helped, and what the healthcare system has felt like from their side. That is the part doctors often do not have time to hear, and I think it would change how I listen to every patient after them.
Trust would come from small, reliable things. I would contact them when I said I would, explain clearly what the course is and what I would do with what they tell me, and keep it confidential. I would ask open questions and let them decide what to talk about, especially at the start.
I would also be careful about my role. I am a student, not their doctor, so if they told me something worrying about their health, I would encourage them to speak to their GP and, if I thought they were at risk, tell my tutor. Being clear about that from the beginning is part of being trustworthy.
Go deeper: MMI role-play stations
Colleagues, culture and safety
What Buckingham says: Buckingham's standards say every candidate undertakes a series of tasks each intended to judge aspects of suitability for a career in a healthcare profession as described in the GMC's Good Medical Practice, scored against a checklist defined in advance. University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024)
This Good Medical Practice domain covers working with colleagues, speaking up about risks to patients, and helping to build a team where people can raise concerns. Buckingham's placement pages stress that lateness is treated as unprofessional, so expect questions where reliability and safety meet.
- 21
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 time.
- 22
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.
- 23
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.
- 24
Buckingham says lateness to any teaching on placement is considered unprofessional. Why does punctuality matter so much in medicine?
What to cover: Link it to patients and colleagues: clinics run late, handovers are missed and others cover for you. Then show how you plan ahead, with a real example.
- 25
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.
- 26
A fellow student keeps leaving placement early and asks you to cover for them. What do you do?
What to cover: Say no kindly, find out whether something is wrong, and encourage them to speak to their tutor. If it continues and affects patients or learning, you may need to raise it.
- 27
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.
- 28
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.
- 29
What makes it easier or harder for staff to admit a mistake?
What to cover: Talk about blame cultures, fear and hierarchy on one side, and supportive seniors and learning from errors on the other. Mention the duty of candour, and why open reporting makes patients safer.
Model answer
Buckingham says lateness to any teaching on placement is considered unprofessional. Why does punctuality matter so much in medicine?
Because in medicine your time is usually someone else's time too. If a student is late to clinic, the doctor either waits or starts without them and repeats things later, and the patients in the waiting room are the ones who pay for it. If a doctor is late for a handover, the colleague going off shift has to stay, tired, and important information can get rushed.
It is also about trust. Being on time is one of the first things a team learns about you. If you are reliable with small things, people will trust you with bigger ones, and the reverse is true as well.
Buckingham's placements can be a long way from campus, so I would plan for that: work out the route the week before, allow for traffic, and if I was going to be late anyway, tell the team as early as possible. I already do something similar for my Saturday job, where I start at seven, and I have only been late once, when a bus did not come, and I rang ahead.
Go deeper: The multidisciplinary team explained
Interview preparation
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Trust and professionalism
What Buckingham says: Buckingham's MB ChB aims to train highly ethical, honest and compassionate doctors who will put the patient first. University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page
Buckingham puts ethics and honesty at the top of what it says about its doctors, and its standards list dishonesty on the application and unprofessional conduct during selection as reasons to refuse a place. Expect ethical scenarios and questions about integrity. Reason out loud: whose interests are at stake, what you would need to know, and what you would do. Our guide to answering ethics questions gives you a structure.
- 30
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.
- 31
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.
- 32
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.
- 33
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.
- 34
You realise you gave a patient wrong information on placement yesterday. Nobody has noticed. What do you do?
What to cover: Tell your supervisor today, make sure the patient is corrected and receives an apology, and work out why it happened. The mistake can be forgiven; hiding it cannot.
- 35
A friend says they plan to use an AI tool to help them during an online interview for medical school. What do you say?
What to cover: Explain that it is dishonest and unfair to other applicants. Buckingham does not permit AI in its MMI and says suspected use may exclude a candidate from all future selection events.
- 36
A patient offers you an expensive gift at the end of your placement. Should you accept it?
What to cover: A small token, such as a card or chocolates for the team, is usually fine. A valuable gift raises questions about influence and fairness, so decline politely or ask your supervisor.
- 37
What does probity mean, and why does the GMC care about it in medical students?
What to cover: Explain it as being truthful and trustworthy in everything you do, including outside placements. Give a student example, such as signing in for a session you did not attend.
- 38
Should a doctor ever treat a member of their own family?
What to cover: Explain why the GMC advises against it except in emergencies: objectivity, confidentiality and the patient's freedom to speak openly. Then accept that a true emergency changes the answer.
- 39
Buckingham deducts marks at selection from candidates who arrive late or without the required ID. Is that fair?
What to cover: Weigh it up: the rule is published in advance and reliability matters in medicine, but some lateness is not anyone's fault. Reach a reasoned view and say how you would avoid it.
Model answer
A friend says they plan to use an AI tool to help them during an online interview for medical school. What do you say?
I would tell them straight away not to, and explain why, kindly. The interview is meant to show who they are and how they think. If an AI tool is answering, the school is assessing the tool. Buckingham, for example, says AI is not permitted in its MMI, and that if it suspects AI has been used it will investigate and may exclude the candidate from that event and every future one. That would end their chances there.
It is also unfair to everyone else. Places are limited, and someone who prepared properly could lose a place to someone who cheated. And medicine depends on doctors being trustworthy when nobody is watching. The GMC treats dishonesty as a fitness to practise issue, so it is a bad way to start.
Then I would offer something useful in its place. We could practise together, timing each other on questions and giving feedback. If they are using AI because they are anxious, that is worth talking about too, because the anxiety is the real problem and there are better ways to deal with it.
Go deeper: The GMC guide for medicine interviews
Knowledge, skills and development
What Buckingham says: Buckingham's MMI tasks test abilities related to Good Medical Practice. On the course itself, Buckingham assesses students through written examinations, structured clinical examinations and an e-portfolio of evidence of progress, and says its assessment aims to drive deep learning that lasts into lifelong practice. University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page
Good Medical Practice asks doctors to keep learning, reflect on their practice and recognise the limits of what they know. Buckingham builds this into its course with an e-portfolio of reflective practice from the start. These questions look for evidence that you learn from setbacks and feedback, and look after yourself while you do it.
- 40
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.
- 41
Describe a time you received difficult feedback. What did you do with it?
What to cover: Choose real feedback, admit how it felt, and show what you changed as a result. Evidence that you acted on it matters more than accepting it gracefully.
- 42
Buckingham students keep an e-portfolio with reflective reports from the start of the course. What does reflection mean to you?
What to cover: Explain reflection as looking back at what happened, why, and what you will do differently, then give a short example. Avoid treating it as a diary of feelings.
- 43
What would you do if you realised you did not know how to do something you had been asked to do on placement?
What to cover: Stop, say so, and ask for help or supervision. Working within the limits of your competence is a core duty and protects patients.
- 44
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 interviewers want to hear.
- 45
How do you learn best, and how would you cope with a course that moves faster than school?
What to cover: Describe your methods with an example, and say what you would change for a condensed degree, such as reviewing every week. Naming a weakness and your plan for it is more convincing than claiming none.
- 46
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.
- 47
Why do doctors need to keep learning after they qualify?
What to cover: Talk about new evidence and treatments, changing guidance and revalidation. Give an example of practice that has changed during your lifetime.
- 48
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
Buckingham students keep an e-portfolio with reflective reports from the start of the course. What does reflection mean to you?
For me, reflection means looking back at something that happened and asking three questions: what happened, why it happened that way, and what I will do differently next time. It is not just writing down how I felt, although how I felt is often part of the why.
An example: at my care home placement I helped a resident who became very distressed at mealtimes. At first I thought she did not like the food. When I thought about it afterwards and talked to one of the carers, I realised it was the noise of the dining room. The next week we helped her eat in a quieter corner, and it went much better. The change was small, but I would not have made it without stopping to think.
I think that is why Buckingham asks students to reflect from the beginning. Doctors keep learning for their whole careers, and the GMC expects them to reflect on their practice. If it becomes a habit as a student, it is much easier to keep doing when you are busy.
Go deeper: Good Medical Practice 2024 explained
Analysis, interpretation and judgement
What Buckingham says: Buckingham's standards describe the computer-based Multiple Mini Assessment as a series of tasks intended to test analysis, interpretation and judgement abilities related to Good Medical Practice. University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024)
Whether these skills are tested in a separate computer-based assessment or inside the MMI, the task is the same: read the information, work out what matters, and make a sensible decision you can explain. You do not need medical knowledge. State your assumptions, say what you would want to know next, and give a clear answer.
- 49
You are volunteering on a ward. A patient asks for water, a phone is ringing, a visitor is lost, a call bell is going and a nurse asks you to fetch a form. What do you do first?
What to cover: Rank the tasks by risk to patients, so the call bell comes first, and say who you would hand each other task to. Our prioritisation stations guide works through examples.
- 50
A new drug reduces the risk of a heart attack from 2 in 100 to 1 in 100. Explain 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.
- 51
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. A link between two things does not prove one causes the other.
- 52
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.
- 53
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?
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.
- 54
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. The patient needs a confirmatory test and a clear explanation.
- 55
You are halfway through a task on placement and realise you have misunderstood what you were asked to do. What do you do?
What to cover: Stop, tell the person who asked you, and check what they need. Owning a misunderstanding early is safer than finishing the wrong task.
- 56
There is one appointment left today and three people want it: a child with a fever, an older man needing a repeat prescription and a woman with new chest pain. How do you decide?
What to cover: Identify the most urgent first, the chest pain, which may need emergency care, not a routine slot. Then explain how the others could be safely helped another way.
- 57
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.
- 58
Vaccination rates are lower in some parts of a town 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.
Model answer
There is one appointment left today and three people want it: a child with a fever, an older man needing a repeat prescription and a woman with new chest pain. How do you decide?
I would start by asking who is at most risk if they wait, and the woman with new chest pain worries me most. Chest pain can be serious, and it might need an ambulance, not a GP appointment later today. So the first thing I would do is make sure a clinician hears about her straight away, so they can decide whether she needs emergency care.
The child with a fever needs to be assessed today too. I would want to know how unwell they seem: are they drinking, are they drowsy, is there a rash? If a clinician agreed it was safe, the last appointment could go to the child, or they might be seen by another service such as an urgent treatment centre.
The repeat prescription is the least urgent. It can usually be handled without an appointment at all, through the practice or the pharmacy, as long as he will not run out of something important. I would explain that to him politely. The point is that one appointment does not have to mean only one person gets help.
Go deeper: Data interpretation stations
How is the Buckingham MMI scored?
Buckingham's standards say performance at each station is scored against a checklist defined in advance, scores are added up across the stations, and applicants are ranked on the total. Your rank is the main factor in whether you receive an offer. Each year the Faculty Executive confirms the threshold score you must exceed for an offer.
Candidates above the threshold receive a firm offer. Others are told their outcome and may be held on a waiting list until all interviews are complete, when a final decision is made. Where candidates tie around the threshold, Buckingham decides using further information from the application. If you arrive late or without the required ID, Buckingham may deduct marks up to the equivalent of one station.
Source: University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025)
What should I prepare for the online selection day?
- Photo ID: you must produce photographic identification to be interviewed. Have the original ready before you log in.
- Be on time: late arrival can cost up to one station's worth of marks, and failing to attend without very good reason leads to rejection.
- No AI: AI is not permitted in the MMI. Suspected use is investigated and may exclude you from that event and all future events.
- Your set-up: the MMA and MMI are online, so test your camera, microphone and connection, and choose a quiet room where you will not be interrupted.
- Adjustments: if you have declared a disability, Buckingham's Student Support Team contacts applicants invited to interview to discuss their access requirements. That information is not shared with the people who decide on offers.
- Preparation: Buckingham has published a video, Preparing for The University of Buckingham MMI, on its course and Selection Days pages. Watch it once you are invited.
- Questions: contact the admissions team at FMHS-admissions@buckingham.ac.uk or +44 (0)1280 820229.
Source: University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025); University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published); University of Buckingham Medical School, Selection Days (no year stated)
What happens after the Buckingham interview?
Buckingham says offers are sent as soon as practicable after the interview process, and publishes no fixed decision date. Offers may be conditional on exams still to be taken. To hold a place you accept the offer and pay a non-refundable deposit of £10,000, which counts towards your first year's fees and is refunded in full if you do not meet the conditions. Every offer also depends on DBS, visa and occupational health requirements.
If you are unsuccessful, Buckingham may offer an alternative course, such as its CertHE in Pre-Medical and Health Studies. You can ask for detailed feedback in writing to fmhs-admissions@buckingham.ac.uk, and Buckingham aims to reply within 14 working days.
Source: University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025); University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published)
Practise a Buckingham-style interview
A timed mock in the format Buckingham uses, built from the themes Buckingham publishes. Record yourself, then mark it against the pointers above.
Common mistakes at the Buckingham interview
- 1
Waiting for dates that are not yet published
Buckingham has not published its next selection days. Check the MB ChB course page regularly, and remember that its selection days are spread across the cycle.
- 2
Arriving late or without ID
Buckingham can deduct up to one station's worth of marks for either. Log in early with your original photo ID in front of you.
- 3
Using AI in any form
Buckingham does not permit AI in its MMI and may exclude a candidate from all future events on suspicion alone. Prepare with your own words and practise out loud.
- 4
A "Why Buckingham?" answer about getting in
An answer that sounds like Buckingham is the easy option does not show suitability for medicine. Talk about the small groups, Narrative Medicine and the condensed course.
- 5
Preparing from an old Good Medical Practice
Buckingham's pages link to the 2013 edition. Read the GMC's current edition, published in 2024, which is what doctors work to now.
- 6
Missing the professionalism checks
Buckingham's standards list unprofessional conduct during selection and dishonesty on the application as reasons to refuse entry. Be courteous and accurate from the first email to the last.
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FAQs
Buckingham medicine interview: common questions
Does Buckingham interview for medicine?
Yes. Buckingham selects for its MB ChB with an online Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), after an academic screen of your application.
Its 2024 standards add a computer-based Multiple Mini Assessment before the MMI and say exceptionally high performers may receive an offer at that stage. Students who passed the MMI for Buckingham's Pre-Med course do not interview again for medicine.
When are Buckingham medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
Buckingham has not yet published them: the MB ChB course page, now showing the January 2028 start, says upcoming selection days will be featured soon.
The course starts in January, and Buckingham holds numerous selection days through each cycle. For the January 2026 intake they ran from 25 September to 11 December 2025. Compare other schools in our interview dates table.
When will I hear whether I have a Buckingham medicine interview?
Buckingham does not publish an invitation date; its admissions FAQs say it aims to make a decision within three weeks of receiving a complete application with all supporting documents.
Its standards say every applicant who has the threshold grades at the time of application is invited to the next stage, so send every document with your application to avoid delay.
Are Buckingham medicine interviews online or in person?
Online. Buckingham's Standards for Admission and Selection say all MMAs and MMIs are conducted online, and its Pre-Med page describes the MMI as digital.
How many stations are in the Buckingham MMI, and how long is it?
Buckingham does not publish the number of stations or how long its MMI lasts.
It says the MMI is a circuit of tasks related to Good Medical Practice, each scored against a checklist, with scores added up across the stations. Your invitation will give the details.
What does Buckingham look for at interview?
Buckingham looks for personal attributes relating to suitability for practice as a doctor, judged through tasks based on the GMC's Good Medical Practice.
Its computer-based assessment tests analysis, interpretation and judgement, and its course aims to train highly ethical, honest and compassionate doctors who put the patient first.
How does Buckingham choose who to interview for medicine?
Buckingham screens applications on academic achievement, with no admissions test such as the UCAT in its published entry requirements, and its standards say every applicant with the threshold grades is invited to the next stage. The entry requirements are on our Buckingham medical school profile.
How competitive is the Buckingham medicine interview?
Buckingham does not publish how many applicants it interviews or how many receive offers, so there is no post-interview offer rate, and our profile has no interviewed count either.
What it does publish is how offers are decided: candidates are ranked on their total score across the stations, and only those above a threshold set each year receive a firm offer.
Are international applicants interviewed differently at Buckingham?
No different format is published: home and international applicants go through the same selection, and as an independent school Buckingham says it has no cap on international places.
International applicants need IELTS of at least 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in each component, and Buckingham strongly recommends the IELTS UKVI test, because IELTS Academic is unsuitable for applicants who may be offered its Pre-Med course after selection.
When will I hear from Buckingham after my interview?
Buckingham does not publish a decision date; its standards say offers are sent as soon as practicable after the interview process.
Candidates above the year's threshold receive a firm offer. Others may be held on a waiting list until all interviews are complete. You can ask for written feedback, which Buckingham aims to send within 14 working days.
Can I reschedule a Buckingham medicine interview?
Buckingham publishes no rescheduling policy, and its standards say failing to attend an interview without very good reason leads to rejection.
Because it holds several selection days in each cycle, contact FMHS-admissions@buckingham.ac.uk as soon as you know a date is a problem. Lateness can also cost up to one station's worth of marks.
Can I apply to Buckingham directly, as well as through UCAS?
Yes: you can apply through UCAS or directly on Buckingham's website, and its standards say the admissions process works the same way whichever route you choose.
Direct applications have no application fee and stay open until shortly before the course starts. Buckingham's applicant site says applications for the January 2027 intake were paused from 20 May because of demand, so apply early.
If I am offered Buckingham's Pre-Med course, do I interview again for medicine?
No. Buckingham says Pre-Med students do not need to interview again for its medical school, because they have already passed the interview process.
To be eligible for a medicine offer they must submit a medicine application for their intended year of entry and achieve at least 70% overall on the Pre-Med programme.
Where these facts come from
- University of Buckingham, MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) course page (January 2028 start shown; selection dates not yet published)
- University of Buckingham Medical School, Selection Days (no year stated)
- University of Buckingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Standards for Admission and Selection (FMHS-ADSE-001-122024) (approved 2024; next review due December 2025)
- University of Buckingham Medical School applicant site, home page (Apply to us; selection days) (January 2026 and January 2027 intakes)
- University of Buckingham Medical School applicant site, Selection procedures (no year stated)
- University of Buckingham, Medical School (no year stated)
- University of Buckingham, Locations and Travel Requirements (no year stated)
- University of Buckingham, Term dates (2025/26 to 2027/28)
- University of Buckingham, CertHE in Pre-Medical and Health Studies course page (September 2027 start)
- University of Buckingham, Admissions FAQs (no year stated)
Last checked: 24 October 2026. Universities change interview arrangements during the cycle, so confirm on Buckingham's own page before you travel or book. The questions above are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Buckingham's published guidance; they are not real or leaked interview questions.
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