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Medicine interviews, 2027 entry
Pears Cumbria Medicine Interview Questions (2027 Entry)
How the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine interviews for Imperial College London's four-year graduate MBBS, taught in Carlisle: the Multiple-Mini interviews, the six areas they assess, why your interest in Cumbria counts, what is not yet published for 2027 entry, and 48 practice questions with model answers.
Reviewed by Dr Akash Gandhi, NHS GP and a Cambridge and UCL graduate (GMC register) · Checked against Pears Cumbria's official pages: 26 October 2026
Pears Cumbria medicine interviews, 2027 entry
Pears Cumbria, which teaches Imperial College London's graduate entry MBBS in Carlisle, interviews by Multiple-Mini interviews (MMIs) assessing six areas, including your potential to contribute to the region. No 2027 entry dates, station count or length are published. The school says interviews are in person in Carlisle; Imperial says they may be blended. No post-interview success rate is published.
- 2027 entry dates
- Not published by Imperial or the schoolNot published by the universityImperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
- Format
- Multiple-Mini interviews (MMIs)Confirmed for 2027 entryImperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
- In person or online
- The school says in person at its Carlisle campus; Imperial's course page says the MMIs may be conducted in a blended format with in-person interviewsUniversity's usual pattern, no year given
- Stations and length
- Not publishedNot published by the universityImperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
- Areas assessed
- Commitment to medicine and understanding the role of a doctor; potential to contribute to the medical school and the region; teamwork and leadership; ethics; empathy; resilience and adaptabilityConfirmed for 2027 entryImperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
- Cumbria
- Candidates are assessed on their understanding of and interest in improving health outcomes for the people of Cumbria; you do not need to live thereConfirmed for 2027 entryImperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
- Work experience
- Work experience with service users is strongly recommended and is assessed at interview with your personal statementConfirmed for 2027 entryImperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
- Interviewers
- Staff and students with experience of admissions; decisions ratified by the admissions tutorsConfirmed for 2027 entryImperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
- Post-interview success rate
- Not published: no count of applicants interviewed is availableNot published by the universityAdmissions statistics as published on our Pears Cumbria profile (offers and applications only; no interviewed count) (2025 entry)
Entry requirements, test scores and fees are on our Pears Cumbria graduate entry medicine guide.
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 Pears Cumbria interview for medicine?
The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (PCSM) interviews with Multiple-Mini interviews (MMIs). It teaches Imperial College London's four-year Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS (A102) at the University of Cumbria's Fusehill Street campus in Carlisle, and graduates receive an MBBS awarded by Imperial. You apply through Imperial, but the school's FAQs say your application is reviewed by the PCSM team in Cumbria and interviews take place in Carlisle.
The interviewers are staff and students with experience in the admissions process, and their decisions are ratified by the admissions tutors. Neither Imperial nor the school publishes the number of stations, the length of each station or the length of the circuit.
The two official pages describe the mode differently
The school's own Applying page and FAQs say the MMIs will be conducted in person at its Carlisle campus. Imperial's course page for 2027 entry says they may be conducted in a blended format with in-person interviews. Plan to travel to Carlisle, and follow whatever your invitation says.
This is a separate course and a separate interview from Imperial's six-year London MBBS (A100). Degree subjects, the GAMSAT and UCAT thresholds and the fee status rule are on our Pears Cumbria graduate entry medicine page. New to MMIs? Our MMI preparation guide explains how a circuit works.
Source: Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Applying (six application steps, step 4: Interview process) (no year stated; page updated 30 September 2026); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Frequently Asked Questions (no year stated; thresholds for 2026 entry, places for 2025 entry)
When are Pears Cumbria medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
| What | What is published | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Interview dates | Not published | Neither Imperial's course page nor the school's site |
| Admissions test results | Made available to the admissions team in November | Imperial course page and school FAQs |
| Mode | In person at the Carlisle campus | The school's Applying page and FAQs |
| Mode | May be blended with in-person interviews | Imperial's course page |
Pears Cumbria does not publish 2027 entry interview dates. What it does say is that GAMSAT and UCAT results reach the admissions team in November, and that applicants are ranked on their test scores and invited in rank order to fill the interview sessions, so interviews follow after that. Compare other schools' windows in our UK medical school interview dates table.
Source: Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Frequently Asked Questions (no year stated; thresholds for 2026 entry, places for 2025 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Applying (six application steps, step 4: Interview process) (no year stated; page updated 30 September 2026)
How does Pears Cumbria decide who to interview?
Applicants who meet, or are predicted to meet, the degree requirement are ranked on their GAMSAT or UCAT score, and invited to interview in rank order until the sessions are full. The degree subjects, the test thresholds and the contextual route are on our Pears Cumbria graduate entry medicine page.
Source: Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Frequently Asked Questions (no year stated; thresholds for 2026 entry, places for 2025 entry)
What does Pears Cumbria assess at interview?
Both Imperial and the school publish the same six areas that the MMI stations assess:
- Commitment to medicine and understanding the role of a doctor
- Potential to contribute to the medical school and the region
- Teamwork and leadership
- Ethics
- Empathy
- Resilience and adaptability
Two things are particular to Pears Cumbria. First, Cumbria itself: Imperial says candidates will be assessed on their understanding of and interest in improving health outcomes for the people of Cumbria, and the school's FAQs say knowledge of and commitment to the region are covered in the MMI, so local knowledge will help at the interview stage. You do not need to live there: admissions are open to home students from anywhere in the UK. Second, work experience with service users is strongly recommended and is assessed at interview, together with your personal statement.
Imperial also lists criteria that may be considered when assessing your application: your degree classification, your GAMSAT or UCAT score, evidence of commitment to the values of the NHS Constitution, motivation and understanding of medicine as a career, community activities, leadership and teamwork, extracurricular interests and your referee's report.
The six themes below follow the six published areas. The questions are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from what Imperial and the school publish about the interview, the course and Cumbria. They are not real or leaked Pears Cumbria questions, and nothing here comes from students reporting what they were asked.
Source: Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Applying (six application steps, step 4: Interview process) (no year stated; page updated 30 September 2026); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Frequently Asked Questions (no year stated; thresholds for 2026 entry, places for 2025 entry)
Pears Cumbria medicine interview questions, by theme
Grouped by what Pears Cumbria says it assesses. Each question has a note on what a strong answer covers, and the Pears Cumbria-specific ones have a full model answer. These are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Pears Cumbria's published guidance, not real or leaked questions.
- Commitment to medicine and understanding the role of a doctor (1 to 9)
- Potential to contribute to the medical school and the region (10 to 18)
- Teamwork and leadership (19 to 26)
- Ethics (27 to 34)
- Empathy (35 to 41)
- Resilience and adaptability (42 to 48)
Commitment to medicine and understanding the role of a doctor
What Pears Cumbria says: Commitment to medicine and understanding the role of a doctor is the first of the six areas Pears Cumbria's MMI stations assess. Work experience with service users is strongly recommended and is assessed at interview together with your personal statement. Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102)
Every Pears Cumbria applicant already has a bioscience or allied health degree, and many will have worked in healthcare. That raises the bar for this theme: you need to show that you understand what a doctor does that your current or previous role does not, and that you have tested the decision against the reality of the job. Expect your work experience and personal statement to be discussed.
- 1
Why do you want to be a doctor, and why now, after your degree?
What to cover: Explain how the decision developed and what tested it. A graduate who chose medicine after seeing the work up close is more convincing than one relying on a childhood ambition.
- 2
You trained in a health profession or a bioscience. Where does a doctor's role differ from the one you know?
What to cover: Be specific: diagnosis, holding final clinical responsibility, managing uncertainty. Speak about your own profession with respect.
- 3
Pears Cumbria strongly recommends work experience with service users. Tell me about yours and what it showed you about the role of a doctor.
What to cover: Describe the people you worked with, one moment that stayed with you and what you saw doctors do. Show reflection, not a list of hours.
- 4
What did you see a doctor do during your experience that nobody else in the team could have done?
What to cover: Choose a real example and explain why it needed a doctor. This shows you understand what the role involves.
- 5
Why Pears Cumbria?
What to cover: Go beyond the Imperial degree. Talk about training in the community it serves, early placements across North and South Cumbria, and the community research project.
- 6
How might a doctor's role in a rural GP practice in Cumbria differ from a doctor's in a large city hospital?
What to cover: Think about distance from specialist services, continuity with patients and families, and managing more on your own. The school says its curriculum prepares students for remote and sparsely populated areas.
- 7
Pears Cumbria is not a problem-based learning course and its assessments are pass or fail. How do you learn best, and how will you use that?
What to cover: Show you have read about the teaching: large and small group teaching, practical sessions and cases, with formative feedback through the year. Link it to how you have learned before.
- 8
What do you know about the training a doctor does after the MBBS?
What to cover: Outline the Foundation Programme and specialty training. Our medical training pathway guide sets out the stages.
- 9
Where would you like to be working in ten years' time?
What to cover: Be realistic and specific. The school says one of its main goals is for graduates to stay in Cumbria, so think about whether that is part of your plan and why.
Model answer
Why Pears Cumbria?
The main reason is that the school is built around the community it trains doctors for. Its vision is improving health outcomes for the people of Cumbria, and the curriculum is shaped by the region's needs: a rural landscape, a dispersed population and an emphasis on prevention and community care. I want to learn medicine in the place where I would use it, not in the abstract.
The second is how the course works. Placements start early across North and South Cumbria, and in the first two years every student does a community research project with a team of five or six, aimed at improving a health outcome for a real group of patients. As a physiotherapist I have seen how much care happens outside hospital, and I want a course that takes that seriously.
And I like that each student has a professional development tutor with clinical experience in Cumbria, who connects you to the local healthcare network. I would be moving to the area, so that link matters to me. Graduating with an Imperial degree is a bonus, but the reason I applied is the region.
Go deeper: How to answer "Why medicine?"
Potential to contribute to the medical school and the region
What Pears Cumbria says: Potential to contribute to the medical school and the region is one of the six areas Pears Cumbria's MMI stations assess. Imperial says candidates will be assessed on their understanding of and interest in improving health outcomes for the people of Cumbria, and the school's FAQs say local knowledge will enhance your chances at the interview stage. Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102)
This theme is what makes the Pears Cumbria MMI different. The school was set up to give Cumbria doctors who stay, and it describes the region as rural, sparsely populated and with specific health challenges. Read the school's own pages, look at the community projects its students are already doing, and think about what you could add as one of its early cohorts. If you have no links with the area, the school says plainly that you will be assessed on your understanding of and interest in its health.
- 10
What do you understand about the health needs of Cumbria, and what would you like to learn more about?
What to cover: Use what the school says: a rural landscape, a dispersed population, difficulty recruiting doctors and a focus on prevention and community care. Admit what you do not yet know and say how you would find out.
- 11
You do not have links with Cumbria. How have you found out about the people you would be training to serve?
What to cover: Describe real steps: the school's open events and webinars, reading about the region, visiting, or talking to people who work there. Show interest you have acted on.
- 12
The school says its purpose is to give Cumbria doctors who stay. Why do doctors leave rural areas, and what would make you stay?
What to cover: Discuss isolation, distance from training and family, and workload, then what helps: support, community and career opportunities. Be truthful about your own plans. Our GP shortage guide has background.
- 13
Pears Cumbria students carry out a community research project in teams of five or six. If you could choose a health problem in Cumbria to work on, what would it be?
What to cover: Choose one problem, explain why it matters locally, who it affects and how a student team could start to improve it. Practical and modest beats grand.
- 14
How can a doctor improve the health of a community beyond treating patients in clinic?
What to cover: Talk about prevention, health education, working with community groups and using data to find who is missed. The Prevention and Healthcare Delivery module runs through Years 1 and 2.
- 15
Placements cover both North and South Cumbria, and some are in rural areas. What does distance mean for patients' health care?
What to cover: Think about travel time, transport, cost, delayed help-seeking and isolation, and how services adapt, such as outreach or remote consultations.
- 16
The school's students have studied asylum seeker clinics and maternal inequalities in Cumbria. Why do health services need to reach the groups who use them least?
What to cover: Explain that those with least access often have the greatest need, and discuss barriers such as language, trust, cost and distance. Link to fairness and NHS values.
- 17
What would you contribute to the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine as one of its early students?
What to cover: Name skills and experience from your degree, job or community life, and how they would help other students or the school. Imperial lists community activities and extracurricular interests among its criteria.
- 18
Tell me about a community activity you have been part of. What did it change?
What to cover: Describe your role and the effect on the people involved. Reflect on what it taught you about working with a community, not only for it.
Model answer
Pears Cumbria students carry out a community research project in teams of five or six. If you could choose a health problem in Cumbria to work on, what would it be?
I would choose access to care for older people living alone in rural areas. The school describes Cumbria as rural with a dispersed population, and the people most affected by distance are often older people who no longer drive. From my work as a healthcare assistant I know how quickly a missed appointment or an unnoticed fall turns into an emergency admission.
As a student team we could not solve that, but we could start well. First, an evidence review of what has worked elsewhere, such as community transport or regular telephone checks. Then we would talk to patients, district nurses, GP receptionists and voluntary groups in one area, because they will know where people fall through the gaps.
From that we could design one small change, for example a simple process for a practice to flag patients who keep missing appointments and phone them, and test whether it helps. I like that the project lasts eighteen months, because that is long enough to see whether a change makes a difference for real patients.
Go deeper: Health inequalities and the Marmot review
Teamwork and leadership
What Pears Cumbria says: Teamwork and leadership is one of the six areas Pears Cumbria's MMI stations assess, and leadership and teamwork are among the criteria Imperial says may be considered. The school says it trains students to work with other health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and paramedics to deliver integrated care. Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102)
Graduate applicants usually have good team examples. The challenge is choosing ones that show both sides: leading when it was your job, and following, listening or speaking up when it was not. Many Pears Cumbria applicants will be moving from experienced roles in other professions to being the most junior person in a medical team, so expect that to come up.
- 19
Tell me about a time you led a team. What would the team say about you?
What to cover: Describe what you did and one piece of feedback, including something critical. Show leadership as listening and supporting, not only directing.
- 20
You may move from an experienced role in another profession to being the most junior member of a medical team. How will you handle that?
What to cover: Show humility and confidence together: respect for the team's structure, willingness to learn, and using your experience to help without overstepping.
- 21
The school trains students to work with physiotherapists, occupational therapists and paramedics. What does each bring to a patient's care?
What to cover: Give a concrete example for each and explain how the doctor relies on them. Our multidisciplinary team guide explains the roles.
- 22
Your community project team of six cannot agree on a topic. How do you reach a decision?
What to cover: Make sure everyone is heard, agree criteria such as local need and what is achievable, and decide by them. Involve the supervisor if you stay stuck.
- 23
Describe a time you disagreed with someone more senior. What did you do?
What to cover: Show you raised it respectfully with reasons, listened to theirs, and accepted the outcome unless patients or people were at risk.
- 24
Tell me about a team that did not work well. What was your part in it?
What to cover: Focus on your own behaviour and what you would do differently. Blaming others uses up the time you need to show insight.
- 25
When should a junior member of a clinical team challenge a senior colleague?
What to cover: Whenever a patient may come to harm, and when they notice something others have missed. Say how: early, clearly and to the right person.
- 26
What makes a good leader in a small rural GP practice?
What to cover: Think about a small team covering a wide area: clear communication, sharing the load, supporting staff, and keeping patients at the centre.
Model answer
You may move from an experienced role in another profession to being the most junior member of a medical team. How will you handle that?
I have thought about this a lot, because I have worked as a paramedic for five years and I am used to making decisions on scene. On placement I would be a medical student, and my job would be to learn and to do what is within my competence as a student, not as a paramedic.
That does not mean pretending I have no experience. If I noticed something that worried me about a patient, I would say so straight away, because patient safety matters more than hierarchy. But I would do it as a member of the team, by telling the person responsible, not by acting on my own.
I also think my experience is useful to other students, in practical skills and in talking to people in distress, and I would share it when it helps. Working alongside other professions is part of how the school trains doctors, and I hope I can show respect for every role because I have been in one of them.
Go deeper: The multidisciplinary team
Practise the real format
Rehearse a Pears Cumbria-style interview with a tutor
Mock interviews in the format Pears Cumbria uses, with written feedback after every session, from tutors matched to Pears Cumbria.
Ethics
What Pears Cumbria says: Ethics is one of the six areas Pears Cumbria's MMI stations assess. Imperial also lists evidence of commitment to the values of the NHS Constitution among the criteria that may be considered. Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102)
Ethics stations need a calm structure: whose interests are at stake, what you would need to know, the options and a decision you can defend. Some dilemmas look different in a small, rural community, where patients may be your neighbours and the nearest hospital is a long drive away. Our guide to answering ethics questions gives you a structure.
- 27
You are on placement at a GP practice in a small town. A neighbour of yours comes in, and later another neighbour asks you why they were there. What do you do?
What to cover: Say nothing about them, not even that you saw them, and decline kindly. In small communities confidentiality is harder and more important. See our confidentiality guide.
- 28
A patient in a remote village refuses to travel to hospital for a treatment that would probably help. What should happen?
What to cover: Check capacity and understanding, explore the reasons, look for alternatives closer to home and then respect the decision. Our capacity guide explains the test.
- 29
A rural practice has fewer appointments than patients who want them. How should it decide who is seen first?
What to cover: Discuss clinical need, fairness, vulnerability and access, and why first come, first served can disadvantage some groups. Come to a reasoned view.
- 30
A man with a terminal illness wants to die at home on his isolated farm; his family want him in hospital. What are the issues?
What to cover: Centre the patient's wishes and capacity, the family's worries, and what support would make home possible. Mention advance care planning.
- 31
Should artificial intelligence help decide which patients in primary care are seen first?
What to cover: Weigh speed and consistency against bias, errors and accountability. School students have studied AI in primary care; our AI in medicine guide has examples.
- 32
A patient asks for antibiotics for what sounds like a viral infection and says the practice is too far away to come back. What do you do?
What to cover: Explain why antibiotics will not help, agree safety-netting and how to get help if things worsen, and consider their access problem. See our antimicrobial resistance guide.
- 33
You smell alcohol on a senior colleague's breath at the start of a clinic. What do you do?
What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so act today and raise it with a senior. Our whistleblowing guide covers raising concerns.
- 34
A friend with a Pears Cumbria interview next week asks you what your stations were about. What do you say?
What to cover: Decline and explain that it would be unfair to other candidates. Offer to help them prepare in ways everyone could use.
Model answer
You are on placement at a GP practice in a small town. A neighbour of yours comes in, and later another neighbour asks you why they were there. What do you do?
I would tell them I cannot talk about anyone I see on placement, and leave it there. I would not confirm that I had seen the person at all, because even being at the GP is private information, and in a small town people can work out a lot from very little.
I would say it kindly, because the neighbour is probably curious or worried, not malicious. Something like "I'm sorry, anything I see at the practice I have to keep to myself, the same as the staff do." If they kept pressing I would repeat it, and I would mention it to my supervisor, because the practice may want to know.
This is one of the things I expect to be harder in Cumbria than in a big city. Patients will often be people you know, and they need to trust that the doctor will not talk. If they cannot, some will stop coming, and that is when confidentiality becomes a question of their health as well as their privacy.
Go deeper: The four pillars of medical ethics
Empathy
What Pears Cumbria says: Empathy is one of the six areas Pears Cumbria's MMI stations assess. The school describes its programme as focused on the delivery of high-quality person-centred care. Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102)
Empathy means showing someone that you have understood how things look from their side. In a station it is usually tested through a role play or a question about someone whose situation you have not lived. Listen before you advise, name what you have heard, and avoid rushing to fix things. Some of the scenarios below draw on topics the school's own students have chosen for their community projects.
- 35
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy? Give an example of each from your own experience.
What to cover: Empathy is understanding how someone feels from their side and showing it; sympathy is feeling sorry for them. Use real examples and say which helped more.
- 36
Role play: a woman caring for her husband with dementia in an isolated village tells you she is exhausted. Talk to her.
What to cover: Let her talk, acknowledge how hard it is and do not jump to solutions. Then ask what support she has and what would help most.
- 37
Role play: a teenager with eczema says nobody takes it seriously. Talk to them.
What to cover: Take it seriously: ask how it affects sleep, school and confidence. Show you understand that a common condition can still have a big effect on a young person's life.
- 38
A young adult with diabetes keeps missing appointments. Why might that be?
What to cover: List possibilities before judging: work, college, cost of travel, embarrassment, fear or low mood. Then say how you would find out, kindly.
- 39
Tell me about a time you misjudged someone's situation. What did you learn?
What to cover: Choose a real example, be open about your assumption and what changed your mind, and what you do differently now.
- 40
How do you show empathy to a patient whose choices you disagree with?
What to cover: Separate the person from the choice, try to understand their reasons, and stay respectful while being clear about any risks.
- 41
Role play: tell a patient that their hospital appointment, which they arranged a lift for, has been cancelled for the second time.
What to cover: Apologise without blaming others, acknowledge the effort and cost to them, and explain what happens next and how you will help.
Model answer
Role play: a woman caring for her husband with dementia in an isolated village tells you she is exhausted. Talk to her.
"Thank you for telling me. It sounds like you've been carrying a lot on your own for a long time. Can you tell me what a normal day is like at the moment?" Then I would mostly listen. She might talk about nights broken by him wandering, not being able to leave him to go to the shop, or friends who have stopped visiting.
I would reflect back what I heard. "So you're getting very little sleep, and you can't remember the last time you had a few hours to yourself." I would also ask how she is in herself, her mood and her own health, because carers often stop looking after themselves and nobody asks.
Only then would I talk about support, and I would not overpromise. As a student I would make sure the GP or the team knew how she was, and ask whether she knew about a carer's assessment, respite care or local support groups. I would end by checking she knew who to contact if things got worse, because in a village a long way from services she may feel there is nobody to call.
Go deeper: Empathy and sympathy at interview
Resilience and adaptability
What Pears Cumbria says: Resilience and adaptability is one of the six areas Pears Cumbria's MMI stations assess. The school's FAQs describe the course as full-time and intensive, with placements across the region that may mean travel and temporary accommodation. Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Frequently Asked Questions
Adaptability matters more here than at many schools. You may be moving to Carlisle, you will travel to placements across North and South Cumbria, some of them rural, and the course is intensive, with little time for part-time work. Strong answers show you have thought about the practical side and that you recover from setbacks by using support, not by pushing on alone.
- 42
Placements cover North and South Cumbria and may need travel and temporary accommodation. How will you adapt?
What to cover: Be practical: transport, a driving licence (the school says it helps), money and staying connected to friends. Show you have read this on the course pages.
- 43
The course is full-time and intensive, and the school says time for part-time work will be very limited. How will you manage?
What to cover: Talk about funding, planning your week, and what you have given up or arranged already. Show you have taken the warning seriously.
- 44
Tell me about the biggest setback you have faced and how you recovered.
What to cover: Keep the setback brief and spend the time on what you did next, who helped and what you do differently now.
- 45
Tell me about a time your plans changed at the last minute. What did you do?
What to cover: Show calm, quick reprioritising and clear communication with the people affected.
- 46
Pears Cumbria is a new medical school. How would you respond if part of your course did not run as planned?
What to cover: Show flexibility and constructive feedback through the right channels. Early cohorts help shape a school, which can be a strength.
- 47
How do you look after your own wellbeing under pressure?
What to cover: Name what you actually do and when it was tested. Each student has a professional development tutor who supports resilience and work-life balance; say how you would use that support.
- 48
If you did not receive an offer this year, what would you do?
What to cover: Show reflection and a plan. The school says applicants rejected after interview may apply a further two times.
Model answer
Placements cover North and South Cumbria and may need travel and temporary accommodation. How will you adapt?
I have planned for it practically. I passed my driving test last year, partly because the school says a licence is an advantage for rural placements, and I have budgeted for fuel and for some nights away. I have also looked at Carlisle's transport links, because I will want to get home to see my family sometimes.
I am used to moving around. In my last job as a healthcare assistant I worked on different wards at short notice, often with people I had never met. What helped was arriving early, introducing myself and asking what the team needed from me. I would do the same on each placement.
The harder part is probably being away from friends and support, so I would keep a routine wherever I am staying, stay in touch with my course group and use my professional development tutor. The school says it tries to group placements so students stay in one area for longer, which will help, but I would rather be prepared for the moves than surprised by them.
Go deeper: Why resident doctors leave the NHS
Who decides, and what else is considered
Your MMI is run by staff and students with experience in the admissions process, who contribute to the decision, and their decisions are ratified by the admissions tutors. Imperial lists the criteria that may be considered: degree classification, GAMSAT or UCAT score, evidence of commitment to the values of the NHS Constitution, motivation and understanding of medicine as a career, community activities, leadership and teamwork, extracurricular interests and the referee's report. Neither site publishes how station scores are combined.
Imperial's fitness to practise policy may be used where significant concerns are raised about an applicant's behaviour, including before admission, so behave professionally throughout the process.
Source: Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
What to know before the day
- Where: the school says interviews take place at its campus in Carlisle (the University of Cumbria's Fusehill Street campus, a ten-minute walk from the city centre). Imperial's page allows for a blended format, so check your invitation.
- What the school has not published: a schedule for the day, the number or length of stations, a dress code or a list of what to bring.
- Know Cumbria: candidates are assessed on their understanding of and interest in improving health outcomes for the people of Cumbria. The school's vision, PDT and community project pages are the place to start.
- Know your experience: work experience with service users and your personal statement will be discussed.
- Mitigating circumstances: if something affects you at the interview stage, tell the PCSM Admissions Officer at the earliest opportunity. Imperial says these will be reviewed and may be taken into consideration for borderline candidates; late claims need clear evidence of why they were late.
- Disability: declare any disability or specific learning difficulty in your UCAS application so the University of Cumbria can contact you about support, or email cumbriamedadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk for advice.
For more timed practice, use our 280 practice questions.
Source: Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Frequently Asked Questions (no year stated; thresholds for 2026 entry, places for 2025 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Applying (six application steps, step 4: Interview process) (no year stated; page updated 30 September 2026); Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Medicine: Graduate Entry (MBBS 4YFT) programme page (start date September 2027); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Our location (no year stated)
What happens after the Pears Cumbria interview?
Neither Imperial nor the school publishes a date for offers. If you receive one, Imperial's Occupational Health Service sends a confidential health questionnaire, you will need vaccinations (which can take up to eight months), you will be offered blood-borne virus tests before surgical experience, and you must be 18 by the time the course starts in September 2027. Every student also signs a student agreement on entry.
If you are rejected after interview, the school's FAQs say you may apply a further two times. Our Pears Cumbria profile records offers but no count of applicants interviewed, and neither official site publishes one, so there is no post-interview success rate for Pears Cumbria.
Source: Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Frequently Asked Questions (no year stated; thresholds for 2026 entry, places for 2025 entry); Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Medicine: Graduate Entry (MBBS 4YFT) programme page (start date September 2027); Admissions statistics as published on our Pears Cumbria profile (offers and applications only; no interviewed count) (2025 entry)
Practise a Pears Cumbria-style interview
A timed mock in the format Pears Cumbria uses, built from the themes Pears Cumbria publishes. Record yourself, then mark it against the pointers above.
Common mistakes at the Pears Cumbria interview
- 1
Knowing nothing about Cumbria
Both official sites say you will be assessed on your understanding of and interest in improving health outcomes for the people of Cumbria. Read the school's own pages before the day.
- 2
Treating it as Imperial's London interview
This is a separate course and interview, reviewed by the PCSM team and held in Carlisle. Prepare for the six Pears Cumbria areas, not the A100 stations.
- 3
Describing your old profession instead of medicine
Graduates from allied health need to show what a doctor does differently. Speak about your previous role with respect and keep the focus on medicine.
- 4
Listing work experience without reflection
Work experience with service users is assessed with your personal statement. Pick moments and what they taught you about the role of a doctor.
- 5
Overpromising to stay in Cumbria
The school wants graduates who stay, but interviewers can tell a rehearsed promise from a considered plan. Give your real reasons.
- 6
Ignoring the practical side
Placements across North and South Cumbria may mean travel and temporary accommodation. Show you have thought about how you will manage.
- 7
Leaving mitigating circumstances too late
Tell the PCSM Admissions Officer as soon as something affects your interview; late claims need clear evidence.
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FAQs
Pears Cumbria medicine interview: common questions
Does Pears Cumbria interview for medicine?
Yes. Shortlisted applicants for Imperial College London's graduate entry MBBS (A102) at the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine are invited to Multiple-Mini interviews (MMIs), which assess six areas including commitment to medicine and potential to contribute to the region.
When are Pears Cumbria medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
Neither Imperial nor the school has published 2027 entry interview dates. GAMSAT and UCAT results reach the admissions team in November, and applicants are then invited in rank order to fill the interview sessions.
Compare other schools in our interview dates table.
When will I hear whether I have a Pears Cumbria medicine interview?
The school does not publish an invitation date. Applicants are ranked on their GAMSAT or UCAT score once results reach the admissions team in November, and are invited in rank order until the interview sessions are full.
Are Pears Cumbria medicine interviews online or in person?
In person in Carlisle, according to the school: its Applying page and FAQs say the MMIs will be conducted in person at its Carlisle campus.
Imperial's course page for 2027 entry says the MMIs may be conducted in a blended format with in-person interviews, so follow the instructions in your invitation.
How many stations are in the Pears Cumbria MMI, and how long is it?
Neither Imperial nor the school publishes the number of stations or their length. Both publish the six areas the stations assess: commitment to medicine and understanding the role of a doctor, potential to contribute to the medical school and the region, teamwork and leadership, ethics, empathy, and resilience and adaptability.
What does Pears Cumbria look for at interview?
Pears Cumbria assesses six areas: commitment to medicine and understanding the role of a doctor, potential to contribute to the medical school and the region, teamwork and leadership, ethics, empathy, and resilience and adaptability.
It also assesses your work experience with service users and your personal statement, and your understanding of and interest in improving health outcomes for the people of Cumbria.
Do I need to live in Cumbria or have links there to get a Pears Cumbria place?
No. Admissions are open to home students from anywhere in the UK, but the MMI assesses your understanding of and interest in improving health outcomes for the people of Cumbria, and the school says local knowledge will enhance your chances at the interview stage.
How does Pears Cumbria choose who to interview for medicine?
Applicants who meet, or are predicted to meet, the degree requirement are ranked on their GAMSAT or UCAT score and invited in rank order until the interview sessions are full. Degree subjects and test thresholds are on our Pears Cumbria graduate entry medicine page.
How competitive is the Pears Cumbria medicine interview?
No post-interview success rate is available, because no count of applicants interviewed is published by Imperial, by the school or on our Pears Cumbria profile. Applicants are invited in rank order of their admissions test score, so reaching the interview is itself competitive.
Are international applicants interviewed differently at Pears Cumbria?
No, because Pears Cumbria does not currently accept international applicants: it can only consider applicants assessed as home students for fee purposes. Home students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible.
When will I hear from Pears Cumbria after my interview?
Neither Imperial nor the school publishes a date for offers. You apply through Imperial as the degree-awarding institution, and an offer is followed by health, vaccination and age checks before the course starts in September 2027.
Can I reschedule a Pears Cumbria medicine interview?
Neither site publishes a rescheduling policy. If illness or another circumstance affects you at the interview stage, tell the PCSM Admissions Officer at the earliest opportunity, or email cumbriamedadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk; Imperial says mitigating circumstances at interview may be considered for borderline candidates.
Is the Pears Cumbria interview the same as Imperial's London medicine interview?
No. Pears Cumbria interviews for the graduate entry MBBS (A102), assessed on its own six areas by the PCSM team in Carlisle; Imperial's six-year London MBBS (A100) has its own MMI. Our Imperial medicine interview page covers the London one.
Where these facts come from
- Imperial College London, Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBS course page (A102) (2027 entry)
- Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Applying (six application steps, step 4: Interview process) (no year stated; page updated 30 September 2026)
- Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Frequently Asked Questions (no year stated; thresholds for 2026 entry, places for 2025 entry)
- Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Medicine: Graduate Entry (MBBS 4YFT) programme page (start date September 2027)
- Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Our vision (no year stated)
- Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Professional Development Tutors and the Cumbria healthcare community (no year stated)
- Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Student Community Research Projects (2025/26 student projects; supervisors sought for October 2026)
- Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Our location (no year stated)
- Admissions statistics as published on our Pears Cumbria profile (offers and applications only; no interviewed count) (2025 entry)
Last checked: 26 October 2026. Universities change interview arrangements during the cycle, so confirm on Pears Cumbria's own page before you travel or book. The questions above are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from Pears Cumbria's published guidance; they are not real or leaked interview questions.
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