Kent and Medway (KMMS) Medicine Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Kent and Medway interview for medicine?

Source: Kent and Medway Medical School, Apply to KMMS (application process, MMIs and key dates) (key dates for 2027 entry; the MMI dates listed under "2027 Entry" are December 2025 (last cycle)); Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions) (2027 entry; station format described from previous cycles); Kent and Medway Medical School, Prospectus 2027 (PDF) (2027 entry)

When are Kent and Medway medicine interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: Kent and Medway Medical School, Apply to KMMS (application process, MMIs and key dates) (key dates for 2027 entry; the MMI dates listed under "2027 Entry" are December 2025 (last cycle)); Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions) (2027 entry; station format described from previous cycles)

How does Kent and Medway decide who to interview?

Source: Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions) (2027 entry; station format described from previous cycles)

What does Kent and Medway assess at interview?

Source: Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions) (2027 entry; station format described from previous cycles); Kent and Medway Medical School, Apply to KMMS (application process, MMIs and key dates) (key dates for 2027 entry; the MMI dates listed under "2027 Entry" are December 2025 (last cycle))

Motivation and a realistic view of medical training

What Kent and Medway says: KMMS looks for a resilient all-rounder with a realistic and committed attitude to medical training, and its applying page asks for a realistic and committed understanding of medical training and clinical practice. Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions)

The word KMMS keeps using is realistic. It wants to know that you understand what training and working as a doctor involve, and that you still want it. Know the KMMS course too: clinical placements from your first term, mostly in GP surgeries and community settings for the first two years, patient educators throughout, and a relatively small school of just over 500 students.

1. 1

   Why do you want to be a doctor, and what have you seen that could have changed your mind?

   What to cover: Give your reason in a sentence, then spend the time on the experience that tested it: the hard shift, the patient who did not get better, the conversation about long hours. KMMS wants a realistic view, so show you looked at the difficult parts.

2. 2

   Why Kent and Medway?

   What to cover: Choose two features of the KMMS course, such as clinical placements from the first term or patient educators throughout, and link each to something about you. Saying it is close to home is fine as a third reason, never as the first.

3. 3

   KMMS students start clinical placements in their first term, mostly in primary care. What do you expect to learn there that a lecture cannot teach?

   What to cover: Think about how patients describe illness in their own words, how GPs manage uncertainty, and how a surgery runs as a team. Give an example from your own experience of learning something only by being there.

4. 4

   What does a doctor's training look like after medical school, and how do you feel about how long it takes?

   What to cover: Outline foundation training, specialty training and the exams along the way, accurately and briefly. Then be truthful about what worries you and why you still want it. Our training pathway guide sets out the stages.

5. 5

   KMMS looks for a resilient all-rounder. Tell me about a setback and what you did next.

   What to cover: Pick a real setback, keep the story short, and spend most of the answer on what you did and what you changed. Resilience is recovering and learning, not pretending nothing hurt.

6. 6

   What do you think will be hardest about the first year of a medical degree?

   What to cover: Name something real, such as the volume of independent study or meeting patients in distress early on, and say what you are already doing about it. Nobody believes a candidate who expects nothing to be hard.

7. 7

   Patient educators are involved throughout the KMMS course. What could a patient teach you that a doctor could not?

   What to cover: Talk about what it is like to live with a condition, wait for results or be on the receiving end of a consultation. Then say how that would change the way you work.

8. 8

   Which other healthcare careers did you look at, and what makes medicine the right one for you?

   What to cover: Speak about nursing, physician associates or allied health roles accurately and with respect. Then give a reason about the doctor's role in particular, such as diagnosis and carrying final clinical responsibility.

9. 9

   You will keep an ePortfolio from your first year for the rest of your career. Why do you think doctors are asked to reflect in writing?

   What to cover: Explain that reflection turns experience into learning, helps doctors spot patterns in their own mistakes and shows regulators they are keeping up. Give one example of something you learned by thinking back over it.

10. 10

    How do you look after yourself, and what would you do if you started to struggle on the course?

    What to cover: Describe what you actually do and a time it was tested. Then name who you would go to, such as your personal academic tutor, and explain why asking early is part of being safe for patients.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why medicine?"

Values: compassion, dignity and the NHS core values

What Kent and Medway says: KMMS looks for a commitment to quality of care, compassion and improving lives, an understanding of the NHS core values and the ability to reflect on their importance, and the ability to treat people with dignity and respect. Its previous MMIs included a values-based station. Kent and Medway Medical School, Apply to KMMS (application process, MMIs and key dates)

KMMS asks you to reflect on why the NHS core values matter, not to recite them. A values station is marked on the examples you give, and the best examples are the ones where living up to a value was difficult. KMMS has its own values too, printed in its prospectus: be brave, be kind, be respectful, be passionate, be collaborative, be innovative and be curious.

11. 11

    Which of the NHS core values matters most to you, and when have you seen it under pressure?

    What to cover: Pick one value, describe a moment when it was hard to live up to, and say what the person did. Then say what you took from it for your own practice.

12. 12

    What does treating a patient with dignity look like on a busy ward?

    What to cover: Make it practical: knocking before entering, closing curtains, using the name the patient prefers, explaining before touching. Small acts are what patients remember.

13. 13

    Tell me about a time you showed compassion to someone who was difficult to be around.

    What to cover: Choose a real person and situation, show that you understood why they were behaving that way, and describe what you did. Compassion that only works for pleasant people is not much use in medicine.

14. 14

    KMMS looks for a commitment to improving lives. What is the difference between treating a patient and improving their life?

    What to cover: Treatment fixes or controls a condition; improving a life means asking what matters to the patient, such as staying at home or getting back to work. Give an example where those two pointed in different directions.

15. 15

    A patient tells you they feel like "just a number" in the NHS. What do you say, and what might have gone wrong?

    What to cover: Acknowledge the feeling first. Then think about the causes: rushed appointments, being passed between services, nobody using their name. Say what one person can do about it.

16. 16

    What does a commitment to quality of care mean for a medical student who cannot treat anyone yet?

    What to cover: Turning up prepared, admitting what you do not know, raising concerns, washing your hands and treating everyone well. Quality is made of habits that start on day one.

17. 17

    KMMS's own values include "be brave" and "be kind". When might a doctor need to be both at once?

    What to cover: Think of telling a patient bad news, challenging a senior about safety, or admitting a mistake. Show that bravery without kindness can harm, and kindness without bravery can leave a problem unsolved.

18. 18

    Describe a time you treated everyone in a group fairly when it would have been easier not to.

    What to cover: Choose a real example, such as including someone others left out or sharing work evenly. Link it to the NHS value that everyone counts.

19. 19

    Why should a doctor care how a patient is treated by the receptionist or the porter?

    What to cover: Because the patient experiences the whole service, from the front desk to the ward, and a poor experience anywhere damages trust and can stop people coming back. Doctors also set the tone for the team.

20. 20

    How do you respect a patient's beliefs when you disagree with them?

    What to cover: Listen, make sure they have the information they need, and respect a decision made with capacity. Our guide to Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusion works through a classic example.

Go deeper: The six NHS core values

Situational judgement and accepting responsibility

What Kent and Medway says: KMMS's previous MMIs included a station labelled situational judgement, and it looks for a willingness to accept responsibility and an empathetic ability to appreciate and regard other points of view. Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions)

A situational judgement station gives you a dilemma with no perfect answer and asks what you would do. Work through it in order: is anyone at risk, what do you need to find out, who do you speak to first, and when would you escalate. KMMS is listening for whether you take responsibility and whether you can see the situation from the other people's point of view.

21. 21

    You see another student copying parts of someone else's assessed work. What do you do?

    What to cover: Speak to them first and give them the chance to put it right, then raise it with a tutor if they do not. Explain why honesty in training matters: the same habits carry into patient records.

22. 22

    A friend on your placement keeps arriving late and asks you to sign them in. What do you do?

    What to cover: Refuse kindly, because signing them in would be dishonest and could hide a problem. Ask what is going on, since there may be a reason, and encourage them to speak to their tutor.

23. 23

    On placement, you notice a doctor move between patients without cleaning their hands. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so act. A polite word at the time is usually best, and if it keeps happening, raise it with a senior. Our whistleblowing guide covers raising concerns.

24. 24

    You realise you told a patient the wrong time for their follow-up appointment, and nobody else has noticed. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell your supervisor straight away, contact the patient to correct it and apologise. Then think about how to stop it happening again. Owning the error is the whole point of the station.

25. 25

    Someone in your year posts a joke about a patient in a group chat. What do you do?

    What to cover: Even without a name, it is unprofessional and can break confidentiality. Ask them to delete it, explain why, and raise it if it continues. Our confidentiality guide shows where the line sits.

26. 26

    A patient you have got to know on placement tries to give you £50 to say thank you. What do you do?

    What to cover: Thank them warmly and decline the money, explaining that you are not allowed to accept it. Mention that a card or a small gift is a different matter and that you would check the policy with your supervisor.

27. 27

    On placement, a busy nurse asks you to do something you have not been trained to do. What do you do?

    What to cover: Say clearly that you have not been trained and offer to help in a way that is within your competence, or to find someone who can. Doing something unsafe to be helpful is the wrong answer.

28. 28

    In a discussion, someone in your group strongly disagrees with you on an ethical question. How do you handle it?

    What to cover: Ask them to explain their reasoning and listen properly. Say what you agree with, explain where you differ and why, and be willing to change your view. KMMS names appreciating other points of view as a quality it looks for.

29. 29

    You suspect a friend on the course is drinking heavily before placements. What do you do?

    What to cover: Talk to them privately and with concern, and encourage them to get support. If patients could be at risk, you must tell someone, because their safety outranks loyalty to a friend.

30. 30

    A friend interviewing at KMMS later in the week asks what your stations were. What do you say?

    What to cover: Say no kindly and explain why. KMMS asks every applicant to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and it points out that disclosure is likely to disadvantage the person who discloses, because the next interviewees gain an advantage over them.

Go deeper: The GMC guide for medicine interviews

Role play and communication

What Kent and Medway says: KMMS's previous MMIs included a roleplay station, and it looks for the ability to communicate effectively and to work well in a team for the benefit of others. Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions)

In a role play you talk to an actor playing a patient, relative, friend or colleague. The assessor is watching how you listen, what you ask and whether you notice how the other person is feeling. Use the interval before the station to work out what the person probably needs and what you must not promise.

31. 31

    You are a first-year KMMS student on a GP placement. A patient in the waiting room is anxious about blood test results they are waiting for. Talk to them.

    What to cover: Introduce yourself and your role, ask what is worrying them and listen. Be clear that you cannot give results, and offer to let the team know how anxious they are. Do not guess at what the results might show.

32. 32

    Your housemate keeps eating your food without asking. Raise it with them.

    What to cover: Stay calm, describe what has happened without accusing, and ask for their side. Agree a solution together. The station is about handling an awkward conversation fairly.

33. 33

    Your elderly neighbour asks you to help them book a GP appointment online, and they are nervous about using the app. Help them.

    What to cover: Ask what they already know, go at their pace and let them do the steps themselves while you guide. Check they could do it again, and mention phoning the surgery as a fallback.

34. 34

    A close friend has just been rejected by all four medical schools they applied to. Talk to them.

    What to cover: Listen before advising, acknowledge how disappointed they are, and do not rush to silver linings. When they are ready, talk about options, such as feedback and reapplying.

35. 35

    You have lost some notes a coursemate lent you before an exam. Tell them.

    What to cover: Tell them early and plainly, apologise once, and offer practical help, such as sharing your own notes or helping rewrite theirs. Do not make excuses.

36. 36

    A parent is angry that their child's hospital appointment was cancelled at short notice. Talk to them.

    What to cover: Let them speak, acknowledge the frustration and the effort they made, and do not argue. Find out whether the child's condition has changed, then explain what you will do to get them a new date.

37. 37

    Explain to a six-year-old why they need to wear a plaster cast on their arm.

    What to cover: Short words, one simple picture, such as the cast holding the bone still so it can mend, and a chance for them to ask questions. Be truthful about how long it will be on.

38. 38

    A patient whose first language is not English seems confused about what the nurse has told them. What do you do?

    What to cover: Do not rely on a family member or guess. Explain that you will get a professional interpreter, check how urgent things are, and use short sentences and written information in their language.

39. 39

    You have to tell your team captain that you cannot play in the final because it clashes with a placement. Tell them.

    What to cover: Tell them as early as possible, explain why the placement comes first, apologise, and offer to help find a replacement. It tests how you balance commitments and deliver unwelcome news.

40. 40

    How can you tell when someone has not understood what you have explained?

    What to cover: Watch their face, ask them to tell it back in their own words and notice what they do not ask. Then give an example of a time you realised you had not been understood and changed your approach.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Data handling and problem analysis

What Kent and Medway says: KMMS's previous MMIs included stations labelled data handling and problem analysis, and academic ability and potential is among the qualities it looks for. Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions)

These stations test how you think with numbers and information, not what you know. Read the data carefully, say what it shows and what it does not, and talk the assessor through your reasoning step by step. A correct answer you cannot explain scores less than a sensible method with a slip in the arithmetic.

41. 41

    A table shows a GP surgery's missed appointments by day of the week, with Mondays far higher than other days. What would you look at next?

    What to cover: Check the numbers behind the percentages first, then ask who is missing appointments, how they were booked and how far ahead. Suggest causes to test, not conclusions.

42. 42

    A headline says a new medicine "halves the risk" of a disease. What would you want to know before believing it?

    What to cover: Ask for the absolute risk as well as the relative risk, how many people were studied, for how long, and what the side effects were. Our guide to reading medical papers explains the terms.

43. 43

    Hospital A has a higher death rate after surgery than Hospital B. Does that mean Hospital A is worse?

    What to cover: Not necessarily: Hospital A may treat sicker patients or more complex operations. Talk about adjusting for risk and comparing like with like before drawing conclusions.

44. 44

    A chart shows that childhood vaccination rates have fallen in one town over five years. What questions would you ask?

    What to cover: Is the fall real or a recording change, which groups are affected, and what has changed locally, such as access to clinics or trust in vaccines. Then suggest what could be done.

45. 45

    KMMS researches health in coastal and rural communities. Why might health be worse in some seaside towns than in nearby inland areas?

    What to cover: Think about seasonal work and lower incomes, poorer housing, older populations, transport and how hard it is to recruit doctors. Our health inequalities guide covers the evidence behind social causes.

46. 46

    A survey of 20 patients at one clinic says 90% are satisfied. How much would you trust it?

    What to cover: Talk about the small sample, who chose to answer, how the question was worded and who handed out the survey. Then say how you would design a fairer one.

47. 47

    A GP clinic runs about 30 minutes late every afternoon. How would you find the cause?

    What to cover: Gather information before suggesting fixes: when the delay starts, which clinicians, what types of appointments, and whether emergencies are squeezed in. Then test one change at a time.

48. 48

    A child weighing 20 kg needs 15 mg per kg of a medicine. The liquid contains 120 mg in 5 ml. How many ml do they need?

    What to cover: Work it out loud: 20 times 15 is 300 mg; 300 divided by 120 is 2.5, and 2.5 times 5 ml is 12.5 ml. Then say you would double-check it with a colleague, as clinicians do. Our MMI calculation guide has more.

49. 49

    Estimate how many GP appointments take place in Kent and Medway on a weekday.

    What to cover: The assessor is marking the method. State a rounded population, estimate how often a person sees a GP in a year, divide by working days, and say each assumption out loud.

Go deeper: Data interpretation in the MMI

The task and group stations: working in a team

What Kent and Medway says: KMMS's previous MMIs included a station labelled task, followed by a 40-minute group station in which applicants were assessed individually. It looks for the ability to communicate effectively and to work well in a team for the benefit of others. Kent and Medway Medical School, Entry Requirements 2027 (stages 3 and 4: MMIs and decisions)

The group station is the part of the KMMS interview most applicants have not met elsewhere. You work with other applicants for 40 minutes, but you are each marked on your own contribution. That means helping the group reach a good outcome: listening, building on other people's ideas, bringing in quieter members and keeping to time. Talking the most is not the same as contributing the most.

50. 50

    In a group task, one person keeps talking over everyone else. What do you do?

    What to cover: Acknowledge their point, then bring others in by name, for example "that's useful; Sam, what do you think?" Suggest a structure, such as hearing from everyone once, so nobody has to confront anyone.

51. 51

    Your group has 40 minutes to agree how a town should spend a small health budget. How would you help it reach a decision?

    What to cover: Suggest agreeing the criteria first, such as how many people benefit and how quickly, then share ideas, then decide. Watch the time and summarise where the group has got to.

52. 52

    One member of your group has not spoken for ten minutes. What do you do?

    What to cover: Invite them in gently with an open question, and give their idea a fair hearing. Some people think before they speak, and their view may be the one the group needs.

53. 53

    Your group is about to agree on something you think is wrong. What do you do?

    What to cover: Say so clearly and politely, with your reason, and suggest a way to test it. If the group still disagrees after a fair discussion, accept the decision and help make it work, unless it is unsafe.

54. 54

    Tell me about a team you were part of that achieved something none of you could have done alone.

    What to cover: Choose a specific example, explain each person's part briefly, and focus on how the team worked: who did what, and how disagreements were settled.

55. 55

    What role do you usually take in a team, and when has that been the wrong role?

    What to cover: Be specific about your habit, such as organising or coming up with ideas, then give a time it did not help and what you did differently. Insight into your own behaviour is the point.

56. 56

    You are given a practical task with instructions that are incomplete. How do you approach it?

    What to cover: Read everything first, work out what is missing, ask if you are allowed to, and say your assumptions out loud. Then start, check your progress and adjust.

57. 57

    After a group task, how would you judge your own contribution?

    What to cover: Think about whether you helped the group reach a better outcome, whether you listened and built on others' ideas, and whether everyone was heard. Name one thing you would do differently.

58. 58

    Why do doctors need to work closely with nurses, pharmacists and other professionals?

    What to cover: Because no single professional sees the whole picture: each brings expertise that keeps patients safe. Give an example, such as a pharmacist spotting an interaction. Our guide to the multidisciplinary team explains who does what.

Go deeper: The multidisciplinary team