Interview Coaching
Mock MMI & panel interviews
Medicine interviews, 2027 entry
Glasgow Medicine Interview Questions (2027 Entry)
How the University of Glasgow runs its 30-minute online MBChB interview, split into Panel A and Panel B, the late November 2026 to March 2027 window, why the offer rests on the interview alone, and 58 practice questions grouped by what each panel covers, with model answers.
Reviewed by Dr Akash Gandhi, NHS GP and a Cambridge and UCL graduate (GMC register) · Checked against Glasgow's official pages: 24 October 2026
Glasgow medicine interviews, 2027 entry
Glasgow medicine interviews for 2027 entry are online panel interviews, not MMIs: 30 minutes with two interviewers, split into Panel A (motivation and teamwork) and Panel B (communication and an ethical scenario you choose from two). They run from late November 2026 to March 2027. For 2025 entry, 62% of home interviewees received an offer.
- 2027 entry window
- Late November 2026 to March 2027, unless your invitation says otherwise; individual dates are given on each invitationUniversity of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- Delivery
- Online, for all applicantsUniversity of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- Format
- Panel interview, not an MMI: Panel A and Panel B, with the same two interviewers covering bothUniversity of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- Length
- 30 minutes in totalUniversity of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- Panel A
- Motivation to become a doctor, teamwork and related topicsUniversity of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- Panel B
- Communication, including discussion of an ethical scenario you choose from two short onesUniversity of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- Invitations
- By email only, on a rolling basis between November and March, with at least 10 days' notice where possible (at least 7 for the last week of November)University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- How offers are made
- Solely on interview performance, with no score adjustments for anyoneUniversity of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- Decisions
- On a rolling basis; Glasgow aims to post outcomes on UCAS by 31 March, sometimes extending to the end of AprilUniversity of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- Post-interview success, home, 2025 entry
- 62% (622 offers from 1,009 interviewed)Admissions statistics as published on our Glasgow profile, from the university's admissions data (2025 entry)
- Post-interview success, international, 2025 entry
- 82% (97 offers from 119 interviewed)Admissions statistics as published on our Glasgow profile, from the university's admissions data (2025 entry)
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 Glasgow interview for medicine?
Glasgow interviews MBChB applicants with a panel interview, not multiple mini interviews. For 2027 entry every interview is online. The session lasts 30 minutes in total and is divided into two sections, which Glasgow calls Panel A and Panel B. The same two interviewers cover both sections.
- Panel A explores your motivation to become a doctor, teamwork and related topics.
- Panel B focuses on communication and includes discussion of an ethical scenario. You are shown two short scenarios, each only two or three sentences long, and you choose one to discuss.
The interview is conversational and there is no writing at any stage. The only reading is the pair of scenarios in Panel B, and Glasgow has built extra time into that task so that applicants with additional needs are not disadvantaged. All the instructions you need are sent before your interview.
Your interviewers will not have read your application
Glasgow says its interviewers know nothing about you except your name. Anything from your personal statement that you want them to hear, you have to tell them yourself, with enough detail for someone hearing it for the first time.
If you have only prepared for MMIs, the main adjustment is length: each answer can run longer, and the interviewers can follow up on what you say. Our online interview tips cover the camera, sound and room set-up that every Glasgow interview now needs.
Source: University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
When are Glasgow medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
| Applicants | Window | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| All applicants | Late November 2026 to March 2027 | Online |
Glasgow's interview page says that for 2027 entry, interviews take place between late November 2026 and March 2027 unless otherwise stated. That is the earliest start of any UK medical school. Glasgow does not publish individual dates: your invitation gives you a specific date and time, and if it does not suit you, the rescheduling rules below apply.
Invitations are sent by email only, to the address on your UCAS application, at any point between November and March, on a rolling basis and in no particular order. Glasgow cannot tell you when you will hear. Where possible it gives at least 10 days' notice; applicants invited for the last week of November may get only seven days, because UCAT results reach the university so close to the first interviews. Check your spam folder from early November. Compare Glasgow's window with every other school in our UK medical school interview dates table.
Source: University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry); University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (no entry year stated; lists 2026 open days (its interview season line, November to February, is older than the 2027 interview page))
How does Glasgow decide who to interview?
Glasgow first reads each UCAS application as a whole, with your grades, personal statement and reference, without scoring or weighting the sections, and then invites the applicants who meet that year's UCAT threshold, which changes with each cohort. How the thresholds have moved and how contextual adjustments work are on our Glasgow medical school profile, which is the page for that question.
Once you are interviewed, everything before it is set aside. Glasgow states that an applicant's final decision is made solely on interview performance.
Source: University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (no entry year stated; lists 2026 open days (its interview season line, November to February, is older than the 2027 interview page)); University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
What does Glasgow assess at interview?
Glasgow names the content of each panel: motivation to become a doctor and teamwork in Panel A, communication and an ethical scenario in Panel B. Its interview page also gives a preparation list:
- Refer to the undergraduate medical curriculum (the MBChB programme information).
- Revisit your personal statement, remembering that interviewers know only your name.
- Think of examples of your achievements and skills.
- Consider your personal characteristics.
- Reflect on previous interactions or experiences.
- Be aware of current issues and challenges within the NHS.
Glasgow's admissions FAQs add that work experience in a medical setting is not required, but that it expects a realistic understanding of what a career in medicine involves, awareness of current issues facing the profession, and a commitment to caring for others, which can come from voluntary or paid work in the community.
The six themes below follow that guidance: motivation, teamwork, your achievements and characteristics, communication, the ethical scenario, and current issues in the NHS. The questions are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Glasgow's published guidance. They are not real or leaked Glasgow questions, and nothing here comes from students reporting what they were asked.
Source: University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry); University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (no entry year stated; lists 2026 open days (its interview season line, November to February, is older than the 2027 interview page)); University of Glasgow, Medicine MBChB degree page (2027 entry)
Glasgow medicine interview questions, by theme
Grouped by what Glasgow says it assesses. Each question has a note on what a strong answer covers, and the Glasgow-specific ones have a full model answer. These are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Glasgow's published guidance, not real or leaked questions.
- Motivation to become a doctor (Panel A) (1 to 10)
- Teamwork (Panel A) (11 to 20)
- Your achievements, skills and personal characteristics (21 to 29)
- Communication (Panel B) (30 to 39)
- The ethical scenario (Panel B) (40 to 49)
- Current issues and challenges within the NHS (50 to 58)
Motivation to become a doctor (Panel A)
What Glasgow says: Glasgow says Panel A will explore motivation to becoming a doctor, and asks candidates to refer to its undergraduate medical curriculum when preparing. University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews
Panel A opens the interview, so this is where first impressions form. Because the interviewers have not read your personal statement, expect to explain your reasons from scratch, with the experiences that support them. Glasgow also tells you to know its curriculum, so be ready to talk about the spiral curriculum, clinical contact from first year and the two electives.
- 1
Why do you want to become a doctor?
What to cover: Give your reason in a sentence or two, then the experience that tested it. The interviewers know nothing about you, so name the setting, what you did and what you saw.
- 2
Why Glasgow?
What to cover: Use what Glasgow's own course page says: a clinical visit in the first half of year 1, the spiral curriculum, two electives, over 20 intercalated degree options. Pick two and say why they suit the way you learn.
- 3
Glasgow teaches through a spiral curriculum. What does that mean, and why might it suit you?
What to cover: Explain that topics come back several times with more depth and a stronger clinical focus each time. Then link it to how you learn best, with an example from school.
- 4
What do you understand about what a doctor's working life is like?
What to cover: Glasgow does not require medical work experience but does expect a realistic understanding of the career. Talk about long training, shift work, uncertainty and responsibility, and where you learned about them.
- 5
Why medicine and not nursing, pharmacy or another healthcare career?
What to cover: Speak about the other professions with respect and accuracy, then give a reason that belongs to the doctor's role, such as diagnosis and carrying overall clinical responsibility.
- 6
Glasgow is one of the few medical schools with two electives. What would you want to do with yours?
What to cover: Show you know what an elective is, a period of clinical experience you arrange in a specialty of your choice, and give a reason connected to something that already interests you.
- 7
Glasgow's COMET track gives selected students extra time in general practice. What appeals to you, or does not, about a career in general practice?
What to cover: Treat general practice as a specialty in its own right: continuity of care, uncertainty, the whole family and community. A balanced view is better than polite enthusiasm.
- 8
What have you done to find out whether medicine is right for you?
What to cover: Talk about caring work, conversations with doctors or students, and reading. Glasgow values a commitment to caring for others, which can come from paid or voluntary work in the community.
- 9
Glasgow's medical history includes Lister's work on antisepsis and Ian Donald's on ultrasound. Which development in medicine interests you most, and why?
What to cover: Choose one you can explain in plain words and say why it changed patient care. One development you understand well is worth more than a list of famous names.
- 10
What do you think will be hardest for you in the first year of medicine?
What to cover: Name something real, such as the volume of independent study or first contact with very ill patients, and say what you are already doing about it.
Model answer
Why Glasgow?
The first reason is how early I would meet patients. In the first half of year 1 the course includes a clinical visit to A&E or general practice alongside the basic sciences, and clinical and communication skills start in that first phase too. When I volunteered at a lunch club for older people, I found I understood things best once I had seen them happen to a real person, so that matters to me.
The second is the spiral curriculum. Coming back to the same body systems several times, with more clinical depth each time, is how I already revise. I go over a topic, test myself, and return to it later. A course built that way suits me.
And I like the range. Placements run across 25 hospitals and around 150 GP practices in Glasgow and the west of Scotland, so I would see very different communities. There are two electives and more than 20 intercalated options, and I would like to use one of those to try research, possibly in cancer, given Glasgow's history with George Beatson and breast cancer.
Go deeper: How to answer "Why medicine?"
Teamwork (Panel A)
What Glasgow says: Glasgow says Panel A will explore teamwork and related topics alongside motivation. University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews
Teamwork questions in a panel usually start with your own example and then widen out to how teams work in medicine. Prepare two or three team experiences you can describe in detail: one that went well, one that went badly, and one where you were not in charge. The interviewers will be listening for what you did, not what the team did.
- 11
Tell us about a time you worked well as part of a team. What was your role?
What to cover: Choose a specific example, describe your part in it, and say what the team achieved because of how you worked together. Avoid a story where you were the hero.
- 12
Describe a team you were part of that did not work well. What did you do?
What to cover: Focus on what you noticed and what you did about it. Blaming others, even fairly, uses up the time you need to show insight.
- 13
Is it more important for a doctor to be a good leader or a good team member?
What to cover: Argue that a doctor needs both and that good followers make good leaders. Give an example of each from your own life.
- 14
Who is in the team that looks after a patient on a hospital ward?
What to cover: Name more than doctors and nurses: pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, healthcare support workers, domestic staff. Say why each matters to the patient.
- 15
A member of your group project is not doing their share. What do you do?
What to cover: Find out why first, privately and kindly, because there may be a problem in their life. Then agree a plan and involve the tutor only if the work is at risk.
- 16
How would you handle a disagreement with a senior colleague about a patient's care?
What to cover: Raise it politely and in private, explain your concern with your reasons, and listen to theirs. If patient safety is at risk and the concern is not resolved, escalate.
- 17
What makes a team work well under pressure?
What to cover: Talk about clear roles, communication that is checked, and people feeling able to speak up. Give a moment from sport, work or volunteering where you saw it.
- 18
What do you bring to a team?
What to cover: Name one or two strengths and back each with a short example. Then mention what you are working on, which shows insight.
- 19
Medical students at Glasgow learn in small groups and through problem-based learning. How do you make a group discussion useful for everyone?
What to cover: Talk about preparing beforehand, letting quieter members speak, keeping the group on task and sharing work fairly. Give an example where you did one of these.
- 20
Tell us about a time you had to rely on someone else to get something done.
What to cover: Describe the situation, how you made sure you both understood the task, and what you did when it did not go to plan. Trust and checking are both part of teamwork.
Model answer
Describe a team you were part of that did not work well. What did you do?
In Year 12 I was in a group of four planning a charity quiz night for our school's chosen hospice. Two weeks before the event, we had a venue and a date, but no questions written and no tickets sold. Everyone thought someone else was doing those jobs, and the group chat had turned into arguments about whose fault it was.
I suggested we meet in person at lunch. I wrote down every task left on one sheet, and we each picked the jobs that suited us, with a date next to each one. I took ticket sales because I knew I could ask teachers and parents directly. We agreed a two-minute check-in on the group chat every evening.
We sold 80 tickets and raised a little over £600. What I took from it was that the problem was never effort; it was that nobody had said out loud who was doing what. I have read that clear roles and handovers matter just as much on a ward, and I now always ask "who is doing this?" at the start of any group task.
Go deeper: The multidisciplinary team explained
Your achievements, skills and personal characteristics
What Glasgow says: Glasgow tells candidates to think of examples of their achievements and skills, consider their personal characteristics and reflect on previous interactions or experiences. University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews
These questions are where your personal statement would usually do the work, but at Glasgow the interviewers have not seen it. Pick four or five experiences and practise describing each one in a minute: what you did, one moment that stood out, and what you learned about yourself. Reflection on what happened is what earns marks.
- 21
Tell us about yourself.
What to cover: Give a short, organised picture: what you are studying, one or two things you do outside school, and what led you to medicine. Remember they know only your name.
- 22
What achievement are you most proud of, and why?
What to cover: It does not need to be academic. Explain what made it hard and what it says about you, such as persistence or care for others.
- 23
Tell us about an experience of caring for someone. What did you learn from it?
What to cover: Glasgow expects a commitment to caring for others. Describe one person or moment in detail and what it taught you about patients or about yourself.
- 24
What is your biggest weakness, and what are you doing about it?
What to cover: Choose a real weakness that would matter in medicine, such as finding it hard to ask for help, and show the steps you are already taking.
- 25
Describe an interaction with a member of the public that taught you something.
What to cover: Glasgow asks you to reflect on previous interactions. Choose one, describe what happened briefly, and spend most of your time on what you would now do the same or differently.
- 26
How do you cope with stress, and how do you know when you are not coping?
What to cover: Describe what you actually do, and the warning signs you notice in yourself. Then link it to patients: unwell or exhausted doctors make more mistakes.
- 27
Tell us about a time you received criticism. How did you respond?
What to cover: Give a real example, show that you listened without becoming defensive, and say what you changed afterwards.
- 28
What skill have you developed outside school that will help you as a doctor?
What to cover: Link a skill from a job, a sport, music or volunteering to a part of a doctor's work, such as staying calm, explaining things clearly or practising until something is right.
- 29
Tell us about a time you made a mistake.
What to cover: Choose one with a real consequence. Spend most of your answer on what you did next: owning it, putting it right and changing how you work.
Model answer
Tell us about an experience of caring for someone. What did you learn from it?
For the last year I have volunteered on Saturday mornings at a lunch club for older people in my area. Most of the time I serve food and clear tables, but the part I value is sitting down and talking to people. One regular, a man in his eighties who lives alone, barely spoke to anyone for the first few weeks.
I started sitting with him each week and asking about the photos he sometimes brought in from his time working in the shipyards. After about a month he was telling me stories without any prompting, and the staff said he had started coming to the club every week where before he came now and then.
What I learned is that caring is often about time and attention more than tasks. He did not need me to do anything for him; he needed someone to notice him. I also learned that I had to be patient and not take the early silence personally. I think that will matter with patients who are frightened or withdrawn, because they will not always open up to a doctor straight away.
Go deeper: Medicine work experience guide
Interview preparation
1-1 interview coaching and mock interviews for Glasgow, 2027 entry
Our 1-1 medicine interview tutoring is online and your tutor is matched to Glasgow, so every mock runs in the panel interview format Glasgow uses, with written feedback after each one.
We cover every UK medical school and last year our students were offered places at every one, including Glasgow.
Ten hours is £749 (£75 an hour) and includes the £349 Ultimate Q&A Guide free (500+ questions with model answers written by doctors), plus WhatsApp support between sessions.
Most popular1-1 Interview Coaching
20 hours
Our best-value full programme
£1,449£1,699Save £250
or 2 monthly payments of £724.50
Free Q&A Guide (£349)
Buy
1-1 Interview Coaching
30 hours
Deepest prep for multiple offers and Oxbridge
£2,149£2,499Save £350
or 2 monthly payments of £1,074.50
Free Q&A Guide (£349)
Buy
Interview Guide
Ultimate Q&A Guide
Model answers to every common interview question
£349
Free with any coaching package
BuyNot sure which option fits? Explore all interview coaching or book a free consultation.
Communication (Panel B)
What Glasgow says: Glasgow says Panel B will focus on communication and will include discussion of an ethical scenario. University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews
Glasgow's interview has no actor and no written task, so communication is marked in how you talk to the two interviewers: whether you listen to the question, answer it clearly and explain your thinking in plain language. Some questions may ask how you would talk to a patient or relative. Answer those by saying what you would actually say, not only what you would cover.
- 30
What makes a doctor a good communicator?
What to cover: Describe behaviours, not adjectives: listening without interrupting, plain language, checking understanding, noticing what is not said. Give one moment when you saw a doctor or another professional do this.
- 31
How would you explain to a patient what a blood test is for, if they were nervous about it?
What to cover: Say the words you would use: what the test is, why it helps, what it feels like, and how long it takes. Ask what worries them, and check they are happy to go ahead.
- 32
Tell us about a time you had to explain something complicated to someone. How did you know they understood?
What to cover: Choose a specific example and describe the check you used, such as asking them to explain it back. "Does that make sense?" is not a check.
- 33
How would you speak to a patient whose first language is not English?
What to cover: Talk about a professional interpreter, why relatives are a poor substitute, short sentences and checking understanding. Written information in their language helps too.
- 34
A relative is angry that nobody has told them what is happening with their mother. What would you say?
What to cover: Let them speak, acknowledge that not knowing is frightening, and avoid being defensive. Explain that you need the patient's consent to share information, and offer to find the right person.
- 35
How would you communicate with a patient who has hearing loss?
What to cover: Face them, speak clearly without shouting, reduce background noise, check whether they lip-read or use hearing aids, and use writing or a BSL interpreter where needed.
- 36
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy, and why does it matter for a doctor?
What to cover: Empathy is understanding someone's feelings from their point of view; sympathy is feeling sorry for them. Empathy keeps the focus on the patient and what they need.
- 37
Why do you think some patients leave a consultation without understanding what they were told?
What to cover: Consider jargon, anxiety, time pressure, health literacy and language. Then suggest practical fixes, such as checking back and writing key points down.
- 38
How would you tell a friend something they did not want to hear?
What to cover: Choose the right time and place, be clear and kind, and give them room to respond. Then support them afterwards. This is the same skill doctors use for difficult news.
- 39
Talking online can be harder than in person. How would you build rapport with a patient on a video consultation?
What to cover: Talk about introductions, looking at the camera, checking they can hear and see you, pausing to let them speak and summarising more often. Your own Glasgow interview is good practice for this.
Model answer
How would you explain to a patient what a blood test is for, if they were nervous about it?
I would start by noticing the nerves and asking about them, before explaining anything. "You look a bit worried. Is it the needle, or what the test might show, or something else?" The answer changes what I say next, and many people are more worried about the result than the needle.
Then I would explain in plain words. "The doctor wants to check a few things in your blood, such as whether you are low on iron, which could explain why you have been so tired. A nurse will take a small amount from a vein in your arm. It usually feels like a quick sharp scratch and takes less than a minute." If they are frightened of needles, I would mention that they can lie down and that it helps to tell the nurse.
I would finish by checking. "Can you tell me in your own words what the test is for?" I would ask whether they have any questions, tell them how and when they will get the results, and make sure they are happy to go ahead, because it is their decision.
Go deeper: Empathy and communication at interview
The ethical scenario (Panel B)
What Glasgow says: In Panel B, Glasgow says applicants read two ethical scenarios, each only two or three sentences long, and choose one for discussion. University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews
Glasgow gives you two very short scenarios and lets you choose one. Practise choosing quickly: pick the scenario where you can see the competing interests most clearly, not the one that looks easiest. Then reason out loud: who is involved, what matters to each of them, what you would want to find out, what you would do and what would change your mind. The scenarios below are written in the same short style, and our guide to answering ethics questions gives you a structure.
- 40
A 16-year-old asks her GP for the contraceptive pill and asks that her parents are not told. Discuss.
What to cover: Consider her capacity to consent, her right to confidentiality and any signs she is at risk. Our Gillick competence guide explains how doctors decide.
- 41
An adult patient with capacity refuses a blood transfusion that would probably save his life. Discuss.
What to cover: Check he understands the consequences and has capacity for this decision, explore his reasons and offer alternatives. Then respect the decision; our capacity guide covers the test.
- 42
A medical student sees a friend on the course post a photograph from a ward. A patient is visible in the background. Discuss.
What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality whatever was intended. Speak to the friend first and ask them to remove it, then escalate if they will not. See our confidentiality guide.
- 43
A GP has one appointment left today. Two patients both say they need it urgently. Discuss.
What to cover: Talk about clinical need, fairness and safety, and how you would gather information quickly. Then look for options: a phone call, another clinician, or the out-of-hours service.
- 44
A patient asks a doctor not to tell her family about her cancer diagnosis. The family keep asking the doctor what is wrong. Discuss.
What to cover: The patient's wishes come first, so the doctor should not share. Be kind to the family, and gently explore with the patient who she would like to know and when.
- 45
A student notices that a junior doctor smells of alcohol at the start of a shift. Discuss.
What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so act today. Speak to the doctor privately if it is safe to and tell a senior. Our whistleblowing guide covers raising concerns.
- 46
A patient asks for antibiotics for a cold and becomes upset when the doctor says no. Discuss.
What to cover: Balance the patient's wishes against harm to them and to everyone else through antibiotic resistance. Show how the doctor can explain the decision and still help with the symptoms.
- 47
Scotland has an opt-out system for organ donation. A family refuses donation even though the patient did not opt out. Discuss.
What to cover: Weigh the patient's presumed wishes against the family's grief and distress. Explain why families are still involved in practice and what a doctor can do to support them.
- 48
A friend applying to medicine asks you to tell them what you were asked in your Glasgow interview. Discuss.
What to cover: Decline kindly. Glasgow tells applicants not to discuss their questions or scenarios with anyone, and treats failure to follow its guidance as a fitness to practise issue.
- 49
A doctor realises she gave a patient the wrong dose of a medicine yesterday. The patient seems fine and no one else has noticed. Discuss.
What to cover: Explain the professional duty of candour: tell the patient, apologise, check for harm, put it right and report it so the system can learn. Hiding it is never acceptable.
Model answer
A friend applying to medicine asks you to tell them what you were asked in your Glasgow interview. Discuss.
I would say no, kindly, and explain why. Glasgow tells every applicant not to discuss the questions or scenarios with anyone after the interview, online or in person, and says it would view a failure to follow that guidance as a fitness to practise issue that could put an offer at risk. That settles what I should do.
But I also think the rule is fair. If I passed on my scenarios, my friend would have an advantage over applicants who do not know someone interviewed earlier in the season, and since Glasgow interviews from November to March, early applicants could pass on a lot. Someone else might lose a place because of it. A doctor owes patients the same standard whoever they are, and this is the same idea.
I would still want to help. We could practise general questions together, I could tell them how I prepared and set up my room for an online interview, and I could remind them that what is marked is how they think and talk on the day, which no amount of inside knowledge replaces.
Go deeper: The four pillars of medical ethics
Current issues and challenges within the NHS
What Glasgow says: Glasgow tells candidates to be aware of current issues and challenges within the NHS, and its FAQs expect applicants to be aware of current issues facing the medical profession. University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews
Glasgow's own course trains doctors for NHS Scotland, so know at least one way the Scottish health service differs from England's; our guide to the four UK health systems sets them out. Then pick three or four current issues and know each well: what is happening, why it matters to patients, and what a doctor can do about it.
- 50
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the NHS at the moment?
What to cover: Pick one challenge, explain why it matters to patients with a fact or two, and suggest what could help. A focused answer beats a tour of every problem.
- 51
How does healthcare in Scotland differ from healthcare in England?
What to cover: Give one or two differences you are sure of, such as free prescriptions in Scotland, and say what they mean for patients. Avoid guessing at details you have not checked.
- 52
Why do people in the most deprived areas of Glasgow live shorter lives, and what can a doctor do about it?
What to cover: Explain the social causes, such as income, housing, education and smoking, then the doctor's part, from prevention to advocacy. Our health inequalities guide covers the evidence.
- 53
Why are there shortages of GPs, and why does it matter?
What to cover: Talk about workload, retirement and training numbers, and what happens to patients and hospitals when access to a GP is hard. Our GP shortage guide has the background.
- 54
Why do some patients stay in hospital after they are well enough to go home?
What to cover: Explain delayed discharge: many are waiting for social care or a care home place. Then say what it means for them and for A&E. See our ageing population guide.
- 55
What are the benefits and risks of using artificial intelligence in healthcare?
What to cover: Give one real benefit, such as faster reading of scans, and one real risk, such as bias in training data or unclear responsibility for errors. Our AI in medicine guide has examples.
- 56
Why is antibiotic resistance a problem, and what can a new doctor do about it?
What to cover: Explain how resistance develops and why few new antibiotics are coming. Then make it practical: prescribing only when needed and explaining why to patients.
- 57
Should the NHS pay for treatments for conditions caused by lifestyle choices?
What to cover: Weigh fairness, the many causes of illness beyond choice, and the duty to treat everyone. Come to a reasoned view and acknowledge the other side.
- 58
How is mental health care under pressure, and what does that mean for patients?
What to cover: Talk about waiting times, especially for young people, and what happens while people wait. Our mental health guide sets out the issues.
Model answer
Why do people in the most deprived areas of Glasgow live shorter lives, and what can a doctor do about it?
Mostly because health is shaped by the conditions people live in long before they see a doctor. Lower income, poor or damp housing, insecure work, and higher rates of smoking, alcohol and drug harm all cluster in the poorest areas. They build up over a lifetime, so people there tend to develop long-term illnesses earlier and live with them for longer.
Healthcare can make it worse without meaning to. People in deprived areas often have more complex needs but less time with their GP relative to those needs, and they may find it harder to take time off work or travel to appointments. That is why Glasgow's COMET scheme, which builds experience in general practice, interests me.
A doctor cannot fix poverty, but can do several things. Take extra care to explain clearly and check understanding, refer people to services such as welfare advice or smoking cessation, make the most of every contact for prevention, and speak up for patients when the system is failing them. Over a career, those small things add up for a lot of people.
Go deeper: Medicine interview hot topics
How is the Glasgow interview scored?
Your two interviewers complete score sheets, and Glasgow says it holds no record of your performance other than those sheets: interviews are not recorded. After interviews, performance is processed and ranked, with a secondary screening to confirm every part of your application meets the requirements, and applicants who reach that year's score threshold receive offers. The range of interview scores varies with each cohort. Glasgow does not publish how Panel A and Panel B are weighted.
The final decision is made solely on interview performance, and Glasgow makes no interview score adjustments for any applicant, including widening participation applicants and anyone unwell on the day. By taking the interview you declare yourself fit to sit it, so if you are ill, ask to reschedule before the interview, not after it.
Source: University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry); University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Admissions Procedures 2026 (PDF) (2026); University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (no entry year stated; lists 2026 open days (its interview season line, November to February, is older than the 2027 interview page))
What happens on the day, and what are the rules?
- Where: online, from home or another quiet place. Glasgow sends all the instructions you need before the interview.
- How long: 30 minutes in total, Panel A then Panel B, with the same two interviewers throughout.
- No writing: the interview is conversational. The only reading is the two short ethical scenarios in Panel B, with extra time built in.
- Not allowed: any AI software, smartphone, electronic device or written resource during the interview, and recording the interview in any way.
- Afterwards: do not discuss your questions or scenarios with anyone, online or in person. Glasgow treats a breach of this guidance as a fitness to practise issue that could jeopardise an offer.
- Technical problems: a repeat interview is offered only if the interviewers note a serious issue, such as severe technical difficulties. Glasgow contacts those applicants directly.
- Adjustments: if you have a disability, a health condition or a visual or hearing impairment that affects your interview, email med-sch-admissions@glasgow.ac.uk as soon as possible so support can be arranged.
Source: University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry); University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Admissions Procedures 2026 (PDF) (2026)
What happens after the Glasgow interview?
Glasgow makes decisions on a rolling basis and aims to post outcomes on UCAS by 31 March, though this can extend to the end of April. It cannot give you a date, and it warns that an applicant interviewed in November may not hear until 31 March. Successful applicants are invited to an Offer Holders' Day, usually in March or April. Every offer is conditional, including a health check and a PVG check from Disclosure Scotland.
Glasgow does not give detailed interview feedback, only a general overview of your performance, and it deals with feedback requests from April. Concerns about your interview must be emailed within 10 working days of the issue, and there is a separate appeals procedure. Applicants who are unsuccessful after interview but eligible for the Gateway to Medical Studies programme (A900) may be offered a change of course, if there is space. Later in the cycle, Glasgow may contact applicants who narrowly missed an offer after interview if places become available.
For 2025 entry, 622 of the 1,009 home applicants interviewed received an offer (62%), and 97 of 119 international interviewees (82%). An offer is conditional on your grades and checks; it is not yet a place.
Source: University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry); University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Admissions Procedures 2026 (PDF) (2026); University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (no entry year stated; lists 2026 open days (its interview season line, November to February, is older than the 2027 interview page)); University of Glasgow, MBChB Admissions Data 2022-2025 (PDF) (2022 to 2025 entry); Admissions statistics as published on our Glasgow profile, from the university's admissions data (2025 entry)
Practise a Glasgow-style interview
A timed mock in the format Glasgow uses, built from the themes Glasgow publishes. Record yourself, then mark it against the pointers above.
Common mistakes at the Glasgow interview
- 1
Assuming the interviewers have read your personal statement
Glasgow says its interviewers know only your name. Explain each experience as if for the first time, with enough detail to be convincing.
- 2
Preparing only for an MMI
Glasgow uses a 30-minute panel with two interviewers, not stations. Practise longer answers and being asked a follow-up question on what you have just said.
- 3
Picking the ethical scenario that looks easiest
In Panel B you choose one of two short scenarios. Choose the one where you can see the competing interests clearly, because that is what the discussion is for.
- 4
Interviewing while unwell
By taking the interview you declare yourself fit to sit it, and Glasgow makes no score adjustments for illness on the day. Ask to reschedule before the interview.
- 5
Missing the invitation email
Invitations come by email only, to your UCAS email address, sometimes with seven days' notice in late November. Check your spam folder from early November.
- 6
Leaving a device or notes in reach
Glasgow forbids AI software, phones, other devices and written resources during the interview. Clear your desk before you join.
- 7
Not knowing the Glasgow course
Glasgow tells you to refer to its curriculum. Know the spiral curriculum, the early clinical visit, the two electives and the intercalated degree options.
How we can help
Expert 1-1 support for your Glasgow application
1-1 support from doctors and admissions experts across every stage of your medicine application.
Most popular
1-1 Mock Interview
Marked on real criteria
Ultimate Package
Full application support
FAQs
Glasgow medicine interview: common questions
Does Glasgow interview for medicine?
Yes. Glasgow normally interviews every MBChB applicant it is still considering after screening, and the final decision is made solely on interview performance. For 2027 entry the interview is a 30-minute online panel with two interviewers, held between late November 2026 and March 2027.
An interview is not guaranteed: Glasgow screens the UCAS application and then the UCAT before inviting anyone.
When are Glasgow medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
Between late November 2026 and March 2027, unless your invitation states otherwise. Glasgow does not publish individual dates; each invitation gives you a specific date and time.
This is the earliest start of any UK medical school. Compare it with your other choices in our interview dates table.
When will I hear whether I have a Glasgow medicine interview?
At any point between November and March: Glasgow sends invitations on a rolling basis, in no particular order, and cannot give a date. Invitations arrive by email only, to the address on your UCAS application, so check your spam folder.
Glasgow aims to give at least 10 days' notice, but applicants invited for the last week of November may get only seven days, because UCAT results arrive so soon before the first interviews.
Are Glasgow medicine interviews online or in person?
Online. For 2027 entry, Glasgow is conducting all MBChB interviews online, for home and international applicants alike.
How long is the Glasgow medicine interview, and is it an MMI?
It lasts 30 minutes and is a panel interview, not an MMI. It is divided into Panel A, on motivation and teamwork, and Panel B, on communication and an ethical scenario, and the same two interviewers cover both parts.
There is no writing at any stage. In Panel B you read two ethical scenarios of two or three sentences each and choose one to discuss.
What does Glasgow look for at interview?
Glasgow assesses your motivation to become a doctor and teamwork in Panel A, and your communication and ethical reasoning in Panel B. Its preparation advice asks you to know its curriculum, revisit your personal statement, think of your achievements, skills and personal characteristics, reflect on past experiences and be aware of current issues in the NHS.
How does Glasgow choose who to interview for medicine?
Glasgow reads each UCAS application as a whole without scoring its sections, then invites applicants who meet that year's UCAT threshold, which changes with each cohort. The thresholds and contextual adjustments are on our Glasgow medical school profile.
How competitive is the Glasgow medicine interview?
For 2025 entry, 62% of home applicants interviewed received an offer (622 of 1,009), and 82% of international interviewees (97 of 119). These figures are from our Glasgow profile, which uses the university's own admissions data.
Glasgow ranks interview performance and makes offers to those who reach that year's threshold, so the interview alone decides the outcome.
Are international applicants interviewed differently at Glasgow?
No. For 2027 entry all Glasgow MBChB interviews are online, and Glasgow publishes one format for everyone: a 30-minute panel in two parts with two interviewers.
Your fee status is decided by the university's fees team after your application has been assessed in full, and is confirmed in your offer letter.
When will I hear from Glasgow after my interview?
Usually by 31 March, though it can be as late as the end of April. Glasgow makes decisions on a rolling basis, cannot give individual dates, and warns that someone interviewed in November may not hear until 31 March.
Detailed feedback is not given; you can ask for a general overview of your performance, and requests are dealt with from April.
Can I reschedule a Glasgow medicine interview?
Only for set reasons: a clashing MBChB interview at another university, a clashing school or university exam, illness, or significant technical issues. For anything else, email med-sch-admissions@glasgow.ac.uk straight away; Glasgow will try, but a new date may not be possible.
A rescheduled interview takes the next available slot, which can mean a long wait, for example from November to January. If you miss an interview without contacting Glasgow beforehand, you will not be considered further.
Do Glasgow interviewers read my personal statement?
No. Glasgow says its interviewers have no knowledge about you other than your name, so tell them about your experiences yourself. It still advises you to revisit your personal statement, because it is the best record of what you have done and why.
What happens if I am unsuccessful after my Glasgow interview?
If you meet the eligibility criteria for Glasgow's Gateway to Medical Studies programme (A900), you may be offered a change of course, depending on space that year; you can decline it in UCAS Hub.
Glasgow may also contact applicants who narrowly missed an offer after interview if places become available later in the cycle. If you reapply in a future year, you must resit the UCAT. Our guide to reapplying after four rejections covers your options.
Where these facts come from
- University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Interviews (2027 entry)
- University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (no entry year stated; lists 2026 open days (its interview season line, November to February, is older than the 2027 interview page))
- University of Glasgow, Medicine MBChB degree page (2027 entry)
- University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School, MBChB Admissions Procedures 2026 (PDF) (2026)
- University of Glasgow, MBChB Admissions Data 2022-2025 (PDF) (2022 to 2025 entry)
- Admissions statistics as published on our Glasgow profile, from the university's admissions data (2025 entry)
Last checked: 24 October 2026. Universities change interview arrangements during the cycle, so confirm on Glasgow's own page before you travel or book. The questions above are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Glasgow's published guidance; they are not real or leaked interview questions.
Contact us
Want expert help with your application?
From 1-1 tutoring and personal statement editing to interview coaching and our all-in-one Ultimate Package, we support every stage. Tell us what you are aiming for and we will recommend the right option.
