Queen's Belfast Medicine Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Queen's interview for medicine?

Source: Queen's University Belfast, Admission Policy Statement for Medicine for 2027 Entry (PDF) (2027 entry); Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences: MMI's (2027 entry); Queen's University Belfast, Medicine MB BCh BAO (A100) course page (2027 entry)

When are Queen's Belfast medicine interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: Queen's University Belfast, Medicine MB BCh BAO (A100) course page (2027 entry); Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences: MMI's (2027 entry); Queen's University Belfast, Admissions: FAQ Medicine admissions entry (2026 entry (still current when read on 24 October 2026))

How does Queen's decide who to interview?

Source: Queen's University Belfast, Admission Policy Statement for Medicine for 2027 Entry (PDF) (2027 entry); Queen's University Belfast, Medicine MB BCh BAO (A100) course page (2027 entry)

What does Queen's assess at interview?

Source: Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences: MMI's (2027 entry); Queen's University Belfast, Admission Policy Statement for Medicine for 2027 Entry (PDF) (2027 entry); Queen's University Belfast, Medicine MB BCh BAO (A100) course page (2027 entry)

Empathy

What Queen's Belfast says: Empathy is one of the four competencies Queen's MMIs test. Its published sample role player station, with an actor playing a fellow student, is "designed to test the candidate's ability to communicate and to demonstrate empathy". Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences: MMI's

Queen's tests empathy mostly by watching what you do with a person in front of you, often a Simulated Participant playing a part. Notice how they seem, ask before you assume, let them talk and respond to what they actually say. Empathy is understanding how someone feels and showing it, not feeling sorry for them.

1. 1

   You are a first-year Queen's student. A housemate has stopped coming out of their room and is missing lectures. Talk to them.

   What to cover: Approach gently, say what you have noticed without judging, and ask open questions. Listen, check they are safe, and point them towards student support and their GP.

2. 2

   A friend has just been told they did not get a place on a course they badly wanted. Talk to them.

   What to cover: Let them be upset before you look for solutions. Acknowledge the disappointment, ask what it means to them, and only then talk about next steps if they want to.

3. 3

   An elderly patient on a ward you are visiting says they feel nobody listens to them. What do you do?

   What to cover: Sit down, give them your attention and ask what has happened. Be clear about what you can do as a student, and offer to pass their concern to the nurse in charge.

4. 4

   What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?

   What to cover: Empathy is understanding how the other person feels and showing them you understand; sympathy is feeling sorry for them. Give a short example of each in words.

5. 5

   Tell me about a time you supported someone who was going through a difficult time.

   What to cover: Choose a real example, describe what you did and said, and what you learned about what helps. Keep the other person's privacy in how you tell it.

6. 6

   A patient's relative is angry with you because their mother has been waiting hours for a bed. Respond to them.

   What to cover: Stay calm, acknowledge the anger and the worry behind it, and do not get defensive. Say what you can find out and come back with an answer.

7. 7

   How can a doctor show empathy in a ten-minute GP appointment?

   What to cover: Talk about small things that take no time: eye contact, using the patient's name, asking what worries them most and summarising what they said.

8. 8

   Can empathy be learned, or are you born with it?

   What to cover: Give a view with reasons. Many argue the behaviours of empathy, such as listening and checking understanding, can be practised and improved, which is why Queen's teaches communication with Simulated Participants.

9. 9

   A classmate who has been unkind to you in the past is clearly upset at the end of a lecture. What do you do?

   What to cover: Show that you can put the past aside when someone is struggling. Ask if they are all right and offer help, while respecting it if they say no.

10. 10

    What would you find hardest about caring for a patient who is dying?

    What to cover: Be open about the emotional weight, then show you know how professionals cope: talking to colleagues, reflecting and looking after yourself, while still giving good care.

Go deeper: Empathy and sympathy at interview

Communication skills

What Queen's Belfast says: Communication skills are one of the four competencies Queen's MMIs test, and Queen's sample stations assess how you communicate with an actor and with the assessor. Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences: MMI's

Communication is marked whether you are talking to an actor in a role play or answering an assessor's questions. Use the minute outside each station to decide who you are talking to and what they need from you. Inside, speak clearly, check understanding and adapt to the person; Queen's teaches exactly these skills with Simulated Participants before students meet real patients.

11. 11

    Explain to a ten-year-old why washing their hands matters.

    What to cover: Use short words and one simple picture of germs spreading, check they have understood, and make it practical: when to wash and for how long.

12. 12

    Your elderly neighbour has been given a new medicine and is confused by the leaflet. Help her.

    What to cover: Ask what she already understands, explain the main points plainly, and ask her to tell it back. If anything is beyond you, go with her to ask the pharmacist.

13. 13

    You borrowed a friend's car and scraped it. Tell them.

    What to cover: Say it early and plainly, apologise once and offer to put it right. The station is testing whether you can give unwelcome news without excuses.

14. 14

    A patient in a GP waiting room is upset that their appointment is running an hour late. Talk to them.

    What to cover: Acknowledge the frustration, check whether their health has changed, and find out how long the wait will be. Do not blame the doctors.

15. 15

    How would you adapt a conversation with someone whose first language is not English?

    What to cover: Talk about professional interpreters, why family members are a poor substitute, short sentences and checking understanding.

16. 16

    Describe a time you had to explain something complicated. How did you check the other person understood?

    What to cover: Give a specific example, then describe the check, such as asking them to explain it back. Asking "does that make sense?" is not a check.

17. 17

    What makes someone a good listener?

    What to cover: Describe the behaviour: letting the person finish, asking open questions, summarising and noticing what is not said. Then give a moment when you did it.

18. 18

    A patient's daughter asks you, a medical student, what is wrong with her father. What do you say?

    What to cover: Be kind but clear that you cannot share his information without his consent. Offer to find the nurse or doctor who can talk to her.

19. 19

    What role does body language play when talking to patients?

    What to cover: Talk about sitting at the same level, eye contact, open posture and not looking at a screen the whole time, and how it changes what patients tell you.

20. 20

    Queen's students practise consultations with Simulated Participants before meeting real patients. Why do you think that matters?

    What to cover: Explain that it lets students make mistakes safely, get feedback from the actor and tutor, and practise difficult conversations before a real patient is affected.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Problem-solving

What Queen's Belfast says: Problem-solving is one of the four competencies Queen's MMIs test. Its MMI advice is to ask yourself what steps you would take and what the options are, and to consider these with the assessor so they can appreciate your decision making. Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences: MMI's

Queen's own advice is the best guide here: work out what the problem is, list the options and talk the assessor through them, so they can see how you decide. Many of these stations are practical problems from student or everyday life. There is rarely one right answer; the marks go to a clear, safe and fair way of reaching one.

21. 21

    You are a first-year student. Your flatmates never clean the kitchen and it is becoming unhygienic. What are your options?

    What to cover: Lay out the options, from talking to them to agreeing a rota or involving the landlord, and say which you would try first and why. Think about keeping the relationships.

22. 22

    You have a coursework deadline, a part-time shift and a friend's birthday on the same evening. How do you decide what to do?

    What to cover: Weigh the consequences of each, think about who you could talk to, such as your manager, and plan ahead. Show you can prioritise without letting people down.

23. 23

    You are volunteering on a ward. In the next ten minutes, a call bell rings, a visitor is lost, a phone is ringing and a patient asks for water. What do you do first?

    What to cover: Rank the tasks by risk to patients, so the call bell comes first, and say who could deal with each of the others.

24. 24

    One member of your group project has done no work and the deadline is in a week. What do you do?

    What to cover: Find out why before assuming the worst. Then agree a plan with the group and tell the tutor if the work is at risk.

25. 25

    Your bus to a clinical placement in another town is cancelled. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell the placement early, find another route and give an accurate arrival time. Queen's students are placed across Northern Ireland, so planning travel is part of the job.

26. 26

    A GP practice has noticed that many patients miss their appointments. How would you find out why?

    What to cover: Ask who is missing appointments, when and how they booked, then talk to patients and staff before suggesting fixes such as reminders.

27. 27

    You realise halfway through a task on placement that you misunderstood what you were asked to do. What do you do?

    What to cover: Stop, tell the person who asked you and check what they need. Owning a misunderstanding early is safer than finishing the wrong task.

28. 28

    A charity event you are organising loses half its volunteers the day before. What do you do?

    What to cover: Cut the plan to what you can do well, give each remaining volunteer a clear job and protect anything to do with safety. Say what you would change next time.

29. 29

    You notice the hand gel dispensers on your ward are often empty. What do you do?

    What to cover: Report it to the person in charge and suggest a simple fix, such as a daily check. Explain why it matters for infection control.

30. 30

    Estimate how many GP appointments take place in Northern Ireland in a week.

    What to cover: The method is marked. Start from a rounded population, estimate visits per person per year, divide by weeks, and say each assumption out loud.

Go deeper: MMI prioritisation stations

Moral reasoning

What Queen's Belfast says: Moral reasoning is one of the four competencies Queen's MMIs test. Its published sample ethics station looks for whether you understand the right of the patient to be fully involved in decisions about their care and the limit of your own knowledge. Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences: MMI's

Moral reasoning is about how you weigh a dilemma, not about knowing the right answer by heart. Say whose interests are at stake, give the main arguments on each side, reach a view and say what would change it. Queen's sample ethics station rewards sensitivity to others and knowing the limits of what you know, so say when a decision belongs to the patient or to someone more senior. Our guide to answering ethics questions gives a structure.

31. 31

    A patient with capacity refuses a treatment that would probably save their life. What should happen?

    What to cover: Check capacity and understanding, explore their reasons, offer alternatives and respect the decision. Our capacity guide explains the test.

32. 32

    Your aunt has been advised to start chemotherapy but wants to try a herbal remedy first. Your cousin asks you, as a medical student, to talk her out of it. What do you do?

    What to cover: Be clear that the decision is your aunt's, and that your job is to help her decide with good information, not to pressure her. Say what you would not do, such as give medical advice, and who she should ask instead.

33. 33

    A 15-year-old asks a GP for contraception and does not want her parents told. What are the issues?

    What to cover: Consider whether she understands the decision, her right to confidentiality and any signs she is at risk. Our Gillick competence guide sets out the test.

34. 34

    Is it ever right to break a patient's confidentiality?

    What to cover: Explain why confidentiality matters, then the exceptions, such as a serious risk of harm to others. Our confidentiality guide covers where the line sits.

35. 35

    You see a fellow student copying another student's coursework. What do you do?

    What to cover: Think about integrity, fairness to others and the link to professional trust. Speak to them first if you can, and explain when you would report it.

36. 36

    You smell alcohol on a doctor's breath at the start of a shift. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so act today: speak to them if it is safe and tell a senior. Our whistleblowing guide covers raising concerns.

37. 37

    Should people whose illness is linked to their lifestyle get lower priority for treatment?

    What to cover: Separate clinical reasons, such as surgery being riskier for smokers, from moral blame. Discuss fairness, addiction and social causes, and reach a view.

38. 38

    Northern Ireland moved to an opt-out system for organ donation in 2023. Is that the right approach?

    What to cover: Give the case for, more organs and lives saved, and against, consent assumed from silence. Mention that families are still consulted, and come to your own view.

39. 39

    A new drug works well but is very expensive. Should the health service pay for it?

    What to cover: Talk about a fixed budget, what else the money could buy and how such decisions are made fairly. Our guide to QALYs shows one method.

40. 40

    Is it ever acceptable to lie to a patient?

    What to cover: Explain why trust depends on truthfulness and the GMC's expectation of candour. Distinguish lying from choosing how and when to share difficult news.

Go deeper: The four pillars of medical ethics

Commitment, motivation and your personal statement

What Queen's Belfast says: Queen's policy expects evidence of commitment and motivation, including what you have done to find out about medicine as a career, and its course page says commitment to medicine, motivation, communication skills and initiative are important. The MMI page says your personal statement is considered within the interview process. Queen's University Belfast, Admission Policy Statement for Medicine for 2027 Entry (PDF)

Queen's says clinical work experience is not a requirement and that you will not be at a disadvantage without it, so motivation can be shown in many ways: volunteering in a care setting, virtual work experience, careers conferences, or working with people from other backgrounds. What matters is what you learned. Know the Queen's course too: early clinical contact, case-based learning and placements across Northern Ireland are all on its own pages.

41. 41

    Why do you want to be a doctor, and how have you tested that idea?

    What to cover: Give your starting point in a sentence, then spend most of the answer on how you checked it: the volunteering, reading or conversation that could have put you off and did not.

42. 42

    Why Queen's?

    What to cover: Choose two things the course actually does, such as clinical contact from first year or placements across Northern Ireland, and explain why they suit you. A ranking tells the interviewer nothing about you.

43. 43

    Queen's teaches through case-based learning in years 1 to 4. How do you think that would suit you?

    What to cover: Explain it in a sentence: groups work through cases that link science to patients, guided by staff. Our guide to medical school teaching styles compares the approaches.

44. 44

    What have you done to find out what a doctor's working life is like?

    What to cover: Queen's names observation, virtual work experience, careers conferences, voluntary care work and working with people from other backgrounds. Pick yours and say what each taught you.

45. 45

    You do not have hospital work experience. How do you know medicine is right for you?

    What to cover: Queen's says this is no disadvantage. Use what you have done, such as caring, volunteering or talking to doctors, and show what it taught you about the job.

46. 46

    Choose one experience from your personal statement and tell me what you learned from it.

    What to cover: Go deeper than the statement did: a particular moment, what it made you realise and how you have acted on it since.

47. 47

    Why medicine and not nursing, pharmacy or dentistry?

    What to cover: Speak about those roles with respect, then give a reason about the doctor's role in particular. Queen's does not let you apply for both medicine and dentistry, so be clear.

48. 48

    Queen's students are placed in hospitals and GP practices all over Northern Ireland. How do you feel about working outside Belfast?

    What to cover: Show you see the value: different communities, rural health needs and a wider range of patients. Mention practical planning for travel.

49. 49

    What do you think will be hardest about the move from school to a medical degree?

    What to cover: Choose something real, such as independent study or the emotional side of clinical work, and say what you have started doing about it.

50. 50

    What have you read about medicine that changed your mind about something?

    What to cover: Name one thing, what it argued and what you now think. Our medicine reading list is a place to start.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why medicine?"

Teamwork, reflection and the Queen's graduate

What Queen's Belfast says: Queen's describes its graduate as a caring and compassionate doctor who is a critical thinker, problem solver and reflective practitioner who values, above all else, service to patients. Teamwork for Safe Care and Achieving Good Medical Practice are two of the four Curriculum DNA themes running through every year. Queen's University Belfast, Medicine MB BCh BAO (A100) course page

Queen's names teamwork as a transferable skill to show in your personal statement, and builds Teamwork for Safe Care into every year of the course. It also wants reflective practitioners. Expect to be asked about times you worked with others and what you learned when things did not go well. The strongest answers include a real mistake and what you changed afterwards.

51. 51

    Describe a time you worked in a team that was not working well. What was your part?

    What to cover: Focus on your own actions: what you noticed, what you said and what changed. Blaming others leaves no time for insight.

52. 52

    Tell me about a time you led a group. What would you do differently now?

    What to cover: Give a specific example and what you did as leader. The second half of the question is where the marks are.

53. 53

    Why is teamwork important for patient safety?

    What to cover: Explain that most care involves many professionals, and that poor communication between them causes many errors. Give an example such as a handover.

54. 54

    Who else, besides doctors, cares for a patient in hospital?

    What to cover: Name several professions and what each does, and how the doctor works with them. Queen's puts a strong emphasis on inter-professional team working.

55. 55

    Tell me about a mistake you made. What did you do next?

    What to cover: Choose a real mistake with a consequence. Spend most of the time on owning it, putting it right and changing how you work.

56. 56

    What does it mean to be a reflective practitioner?

    What to cover: Describe reflection as looking back at what happened, what you felt, what you learned and what you will do differently, and give an example of doing it yourself.

57. 57

    What is one piece of feedback you have received that changed how you work?

    What to cover: Name the feedback, how it felt to hear it and the change you made. Taking criticism well matters in a profession built on feedback.

58. 58

    How do you look after your own wellbeing under pressure?

    What to cover: Describe what you actually do and a time it was tested. Then link it to patient safety: tired or unwell doctors make more errors.

59. 59

    Queen's says its graduates value, above all else, service to patients. What does that mean to you?

    What to cover: Make it concrete: putting the patient's needs before convenience, speaking up when something is unsafe, and treating every patient with respect.

Go deeper: The multidisciplinary team