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Medicine interviews, 2027 entry
St Andrews Medicine Interview Questions (2027 Entry)
How the University of St Andrews School of Medicine runs its multiple mini interviews (MMIs) for the A100 BSc Medicine, when the 2027 entry season usually falls, how ScotGEM differs, and 58 practice questions grouped by the areas St Andrews says it assesses, with model answers.
Reviewed by Dr Akash Gandhi, NHS GP and a Cambridge and UCL graduate (GMC register) · Checked against St Andrews's official pages: 24 October 2026
St Andrews medicine interviews, 2027 entry
St Andrews medicine interviews are multiple mini interviews (MMIs): usually four stations of about six minutes, one with an actor. For 2027 entry, expect early December 2026, then January to March 2027. Last cycle, Home-funded applicants interviewed in person in St Andrews; RUK and overseas applicants interviewed online. For 2025 entry, 70% of UK interviewees received an offer.
- When
- Usually early December, then January, February and March (St Andrews' usual pattern; no 2027 dates published)
- Invitations
- Emailed at various times from November up to March
- Format
- Multiple mini interviews (MMIs): usually four mini interviews of about six minutes each
- Role play
- At least one station involves role play with an actor
- Home-funded fee status
- In person in St Andrews (stated for 2026 entry)
- All other fee statuses, including RUK and overseas
- Online (stated for 2026 entry)
- Assessed
- Understanding of medicine as a career, the realities of a caring profession, communication and interpersonal skills at every station; possibly critical thinking, reflection and ethics
- How offers are made
- On the interview score and the route you applied to; the UCAT global score separates equal interview scores
- Post-interview success, UK (Home and RUK), 2025 entry
- 70% (306 offers from 440 interviewed)Admissions statistics as published on our St Andrews profile, from the School of Medicine's admissions data page (2025 entry)
- Post-interview success, international, 2025 entry
- 85% (105 offers from 123 interviewed)Admissions statistics as published on our St Andrews profile, from the School of Medicine's admissions data page (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 St Andrews interview for medicine?
The St Andrews School of Medicine interviews with multiple mini interviews (MMIs). The circuit usually consists of four mini interviews, held at different stations, each lasting about six minutes. Your communication and interpersonal skills are assessed at every station, and at least one station involves role play with an actor.
St Andrews does not publish the total length of the circuit, the reading time before each station or how the four scores are combined. With only four stations, each one carries a large share of your result, so a weak start matters more than it would on a longer circuit. Treat every station as a fresh start.
The A100 is a six-year programme: three years at St Andrews leading to a BSc (Hons) in Medicine, then three years at a partner medical school to complete an MBChB or MBBS. UK applicants choose a Scotland route, an England route or a No Preference route, and overseas applicants complete their training at Manchester. St Andrews links its five-year ScotCOM MBChB (A10C) to the same selection page.
New to the MMI format? Our MMI preparation guide covers the circuit and how stations are run in general, so this page stays on what is specific to St Andrews.
Source: University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected (interview delivery stated for 2026 entry; season and format given as the usual pattern, no year); University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc (Hons) A100 course page (2027 entry); University of St Andrews, Medicine A100 course pathways (no year stated); University of St Andrews, Medicine MBChB A10C (ScotCOM) course page (2027 entry)
When are St Andrews medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
| Applicants | Usual season | Delivery (stated for 2026 entry) |
|---|---|---|
| Home-funded fee status | Early December 2026, then January to March 2027 | In person in St Andrews |
| RUK and overseas fee status | Early December 2026, then January to March 2027 | Online |
St Andrews says interviews usually take place on dates in early December and then in the following January, February and March, and that invitations are emailed at various times from November up to March. It does not publish named days for any cycle, so treat this as the usual pattern and not as confirmed 2027 dates. A late invitation is normal at St Andrews and does not mean you were a borderline choice.
Because so many applicants are interviewed, St Andrews expects you to accept the date you are offered. Keep the whole December to March window as free as you can, and check your email, including the spam folder, from November. Compare St Andrews with your other choices in our UK medical school interview dates table.
Source: University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected (interview delivery stated for 2026 entry; season and format given as the usual pattern, no year)
How does St Andrews decide who to interview?
St Andrews uses a hurdle approach: applicants with a strong academic record, a positive reference and relevant, medically related work experience are ranked on their UCAT global score, and the highest ranked are invited. The thresholds and past figures are on our St Andrews medical school profile, which is the page for that question.
Source: University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected (interview delivery stated for 2026 entry; season and format given as the usual pattern, no year)
What does St Andrews assess at interview?
St Andrews' selection page sets out what the interview looks for:
- An understanding of medicine as a career.
- An appreciation of the realities of working in a caring profession.
- Communication and interpersonal skills, assessed at each station, including a role play with an actor.
- Critical thinking, reflection and your ability to discuss ethical issues, which St Andrews says may also be assessed.
Its personal statement guidance adds the qualities successful applicants show: empathy, good communication and listening skills, leadership, the ability to work in a team, commitment to academic study, resilience, perseverance and intellectual potential. It expects insight from work or shadowing in a caring or health setting, and the ability to reflect on what you learned.
The six themes below follow those areas. The questions are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from St Andrews' published guidance and course pages. They are not real or leaked St Andrews questions, and nothing here comes from students reporting what they were asked. For a wider bank, see our 360+ practice interview questions.
Source: University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected (interview delivery stated for 2026 entry; season and format given as the usual pattern, no year); University of St Andrews, Medicine personal statement and reference guidance (no year stated)
St Andrews medicine interview questions, by theme
Grouped by what St Andrews says it assesses. Each question has a note on what a strong answer covers, and the St Andrews-specific ones have a full model answer. These are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from St Andrews's published guidance, not real or leaked questions.
- Understanding medicine as a career (1 to 10)
- The realities of working in a caring profession (11 to 20)
- Communication, interpersonal skills and role play with an actor (21 to 30)
- Discussing ethical issues (31 to 40)
- Critical thinking (41 to 49)
- Reflection and personal qualities (50 to 58)
Understanding medicine as a career
What St Andrews says: St Andrews says that at interview "you will be expected to demonstrate that you have an understanding of medicine as a career", and its personal statement guidance asks that the choice is made with insight into where it might lead and the role of lifelong learning. University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected
This theme is about whether you know what you are signing up for: the length of training, the exams after graduation, the range of careers and the fact that learning never stops. Know the St Andrews course too, because its six-year structure with a partner school is unusual and an interviewer may ask why it suits you.
- 1
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 placement, volunteering or conversation that could have put you off and did not.
- 2
Why St Andrews?
What to cover: Choose two things the course actually offers, such as full body dissection, a research project in third year or small-group teaching, and explain why they suit you. A ranking or a pretty town tells the interviewer nothing about you.
- 3
The A100 is three years at St Andrews, then three years at a partner medical school. What appeals to you about that, and what might be hard?
What to cover: Name a real benefit, such as a strong science base and experience of two institutions, and a real difficulty, such as moving and settling again after third year. Say how you would manage the move.
- 4
You chose the Scotland route, the England route or No Preference. Why that route?
What to cover: Give a reason that is about you, such as family, where you hope to work or being open to either. St Andrews makes offers on the interview score and the route, so know why you picked yours.
- 5
What does a doctor's career look like after medical school?
What to cover: Outline foundation training, specialty training and the exams along the way, and mention that there are more than 60 specialties. Our medical training pathway guide sets out the years.
- 6
Why medicine and not nursing, pharmacy or another healthcare career?
What to cover: Speak about those roles with respect and accuracy, then give a reason about the doctor's role in particular, such as diagnosis and carrying final clinical responsibility.
- 7
What have you done to find out what a doctor's working life is like?
What to cover: St Andrews names work experience, reading, careers conferences and talking to doctors or medical students. Pick what you did and say what each taught you about the job.
- 8
Why do doctors need to keep learning throughout their careers?
What to cover: Talk about new evidence, changing guidelines, revalidation by the GMC and the habit of learning from mistakes. Give one example of how medicine has changed in recent years.
- 9
What do you expect to find hardest about the first year of a medical degree?
What to cover: Choose something real, such as the volume of independent study or dissection, and say what you have already started doing about it.
- 10
What have you read about medicine that changed your mind about something?
What to cover: Name one thing, say what it argued and what you now think. Our medicine reading list is a place to start.
Model answer
The A100 is three years at St Andrews, then three years at a partner medical school. What appeals to you about that, and what might be hard?
What appeals to me most is the science base. In the first three years at St Andrews I would study the body system by system, with full body dissection and a research project of my own in third year, and I would graduate with a BSc in Medicine before starting clinical training. I enjoy understanding why things happen, and I think that foundation would make me a more careful doctor.
I also like that I would learn in two places. I would see how a smaller school teaches and then how a larger clinical school runs its hospitals, and I think that range would help me later when I move between jobs as a resident doctor.
The hard part would be moving after third year, just as I had settled. I would need to make new friends and learn a new hospital system. I have thought about that, and it is one reason I chose my route carefully: I know which partner schools I would be happy at. And moving and starting again is something doctors do every few months in training, so learning to do it well early would be useful.
Go deeper: How to answer "Why medicine?"
The realities of working in a caring profession
What St Andrews says: St Andrews says you should show that you "appreciate the realities of working in a caring profession", and it requires paid or unpaid work or shadowing experience in a caring or health environment, on which you should be able to reflect. University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected
St Andrews requires experience in a caring or health setting, such as a hospital, GP surgery, care home or hospice, or work with people with ill health or a disability. The interview tests whether you saw the hard parts as well as the rewarding ones: tiredness, pressure, sad outcomes and the limits of what anyone can do.
- 11
Tell me about your experience in a caring or health setting. What did you do, day to day?
What to cover: Describe the routine, the people and one particular moment. Detail is what shows the experience was lived and not just written up.
- 12
What did your work experience show you about the difficult side of caring for people?
What to cover: Pick something real, such as a resident who was distressed or staff stretched across too many patients, and say what you learned about coping with it.
- 13
What does it mean to look after someone with a long-term condition?
What to cover: Talk about living with the illness every day, the people around the patient and how care is shared between GP, hospital and community. St Andrews students meet patients with chronic conditions in first year.
- 14
What do you think causes stress for doctors, and how do they cope?
What to cover: Name causes such as workload, uncertainty and difficult conversations, then healthy ways of coping: support from colleagues, debriefs, rest and asking for help early.
- 15
How would you feel if a patient you had grown fond of died?
What to cover: Be open that it would affect you, then show you know how professionals cope: talking to colleagues, reflecting and looking after yourself, while still caring.
- 16
What qualities did you see in the best carers or clinicians during your experience?
What to cover: Name two qualities and describe the moment you saw each one. Then say which you already show and which you are working on.
- 17
Who else, besides doctors, cares for a patient in hospital, and why does that matter?
What to cover: Name several professions and what each does. Our guide to the multidisciplinary team explains who does what.
- 18
What is resilience, and when have you needed it?
What to cover: Define it simply as recovering and carrying on after setbacks, give a specific example, and say what helped you. Resilience is not the same as never struggling.
- 19
Doctors in training often work nights and weekends and move hospitals regularly. How do you feel about that?
What to cover: Show you know about it and have thought about the cost to sleep, friendships and family life, then explain why you still want the job.
- 20
Your work experience was online only. What can virtual experience teach you, and what can it not?
What to cover: St Andrews considers virtual experience alongside in-person experience. Say what you learned, then be clear about its limits, such as the smells, pace and emotion of a real ward.
Model answer
What did your work experience show you about the difficult side of caring for people?
I volunteered once a week for a year at a care home, mostly helping at mealtimes and sitting with residents. The difficult side I saw most was how stretched the staff were. On some afternoons two carers looked after a whole floor, and they had to choose between helping someone eat slowly and getting everyone their drinks on time.
One resident with dementia became very distressed most evenings and called for her husband, who had died years before. I watched a senior carer handle it. She did not correct her; she sat down, held her hand and talked about him. It took fifteen minutes the carer did not really have, and I could see it cost her.
That showed me two things. Caring well often means doing the slow, kind thing under time pressure, and the people who do it need support too, because that kind of work wears you down. I think doctors face the same choices, and the ones who last are the ones who look after themselves and each other.
Go deeper: Medicine work experience guide
Communication, interpersonal skills and role play with an actor
What St Andrews says: St Andrews says "your communication and interpersonal skills will be assessed at each station, and at least one station will involve role-play and interaction with an actor". University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected
Communication is marked at every one of the four stations, so it matters even when the question is about ethics or your work experience. At least one station is a role play with an actor, who will react to what you say. Listen first, find out what the person needs, and do not promise what you cannot deliver.
- 21
You are a first-year St Andrews student. Your flatmate, also a medic, tells you they are thinking of leaving the course. Talk to them.
What to cover: Listen before you advise. Ask what has happened and how they feel, check they are safe, and point them towards their adviser and student support without pushing either way.
- 22
A patient in a GP waiting room is angry that they have waited over an hour. 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 argue about whose fault it is.
- 23
You borrowed a friend's laptop and spilled water on it. Tell them.
What to cover: Say it early and plainly, apologise once and offer to put it right. The station tests whether you can give unwelcome news without excuses.
- 24
Explain to an eight-year-old why they need to take their asthma inhaler every day.
What to cover: Use short words and one simple picture, check they have understood, and involve them in the plan.
- 25
Your elderly neighbour is worried about a letter inviting her for a hospital scan. Help her.
What to cover: Ask what she already understands and what worries her most, explain in plain words what the letter says, and do not guess at results. Offer practical help, such as with transport.
- 26
The daughter of a patient says nobody has told her what is happening to her father. Talk to her.
What to cover: Let her speak, acknowledge that not knowing is frightening, and stay calm. As a student you cannot share his information without his consent, so offer to find the nurse or doctor who can.
- 27
How would you adapt a conversation with someone who is hard of hearing?
What to cover: Face them, speak clearly without shouting, reduce background noise, check understanding and offer written information. Ask them what works best for them.
- 28
What makes someone a good listener?
What to cover: Describe the behaviour: letting the person finish, asking open questions, summarising what you heard and noticing what is not said. Then give a moment when you did it, or failed to.
- 29
Tell me about a time you explained 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.
- 30
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy, and why does it matter to patients?
What to cover: Empathy is understanding how the other person feels; sympathy is feeling sorry for them. Our guide to empathy and sympathy at interview shows how each sounds.
Model answer
You are a first-year St Andrews student. Your flatmate, also a medic, tells you they are thinking of leaving the course. Talk to them.
"Thanks for telling me. That sounds like a big thing to be carrying. Do you want to tell me what has been going on?" Then I would mostly listen. I would want to know whether this is about the course itself, about something like exams or homesickness, or about something more serious, and I would not jump in with advice.
If they sounded very low, I would gently ask whether they were safe, because that comes before anything else. If they were not, I would stay with them and get help that day.
If it was more about the course, I would say that it is their decision and that I would support whatever they chose, but that they did not have to decide tonight. I would suggest they talk to their adviser of studies and to student support, who can explain options such as taking time out. I would offer to go with them, and check in with them again in a day or two.
Go deeper: MMI role-play stations
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Discussing ethical issues
What St Andrews says: St Andrews says you "may also be assessed on" your ability to discuss ethical issues, and medical ethics is introduced in the first-year module Foundations of Medicine 1. University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected
The word St Andrews uses is discuss. You are not expected to know the law in detail; you are expected to see the different sides, weigh them and reach a view you can defend. A simple structure helps: what is the dilemma, whose interests are at stake, what would you do, and what would change your mind. Our guide to answering ethics questions sets it out.
- 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
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.
- 33
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 the social causes of behaviour, and reach a view.
- 34
A friend asks you to look up a relative's test results on the hospital system. What do you say?
What to cover: Say no, kindly and without hesitation. Looking at records with no clinical reason breaches confidentiality, so help them ask through the proper route.
- 35
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.
- 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
Scotland has an opt-out system for organ donation. 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.
- 38
Should a doctor ever treat a member of their own family?
What to cover: Explain why the GMC advises against it except in emergencies: objectivity, confidentiality and the patient's freedom to speak openly.
- 39
A new drug works well but is very expensive. Should the NHS 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
Medical students learn anatomy by dissecting bodies donated by people who have died. What do students owe those donors?
What to cover: Talk about respect, dignity, confidentiality and gratitude, and how that attitude carries into treating living patients. St Andrews teaches anatomy through full body dissection.
Model answer
Medical students learn anatomy by dissecting bodies donated by people who have died. What do students owe those donors?
I think they owe them respect above everything else. Someone chose, while they were alive, to give their body so that students could learn. That is a generous decision, and the person's family may still be grieving, so the body should be treated with the same dignity as a living patient.
In practice that means simple things: no photographs, no jokes at the donor's expense, keeping the body covered when it is not being studied, and not talking about anything identifying outside the dissecting room. It also means working hard, because a donor gave their body so that we would learn, and wasting the chance would let them down.
St Andrews teaches anatomy through full body dissection from first year, and I think that is part of the point. Learning to show respect to someone who cannot see you or thank you is the same habit you need for an unconscious patient in theatre or a confused patient on a ward. I would want to learn that early.
Go deeper: The four pillars of medical ethics
Critical thinking
What St Andrews says: St Andrews lists critical thinking among the things you "may also be assessed on" at interview. Its third-year research project asks students to develop critical appraisal skills and an inquisitive, questioning attitude. University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected
A critical thinking station gives you a claim, a headline, a small set of figures or a practical problem and asks what you make of it. The interviewer is marking how you reason: what you would want to know, what else could explain the result, and whether you change your view when the evidence changes. Think out loud so they can follow you.
- 41
A newspaper says a new supplement halves the risk of dementia. What questions would you ask before believing it?
What to cover: Ask who was studied, how many, for how long, compared with what, and who paid. Distinguish correlation from cause. Our guide on how to read a medical paper helps.
- 42
A town with more GPs per person has fewer emergency admissions. Does that prove more GPs reduce admissions?
What to cover: Point out other explanations, such as the town being wealthier or younger, and say what kind of study would answer the question better.
- 43
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. Our prioritisation guide has more practice.
- 44
Estimate how many people visit a GP in Scotland on a typical weekday.
What to cover: The method is what is marked. Start from a rounded population, estimate visits per person per year, divide by working days and say each assumption out loud.
- 45
A patient tells you they read online that vaccines cause more harm than good. How would you think about the claim?
What to cover: Ask where the claim came from and what the evidence shows, then think about how to talk to the patient respectfully. Being right is not enough if they stop listening.
- 46
Should medical schools select applicants by lottery once they meet a minimum standard?
What to cover: Give arguments both ways, such as fairness and less pressure against losing the chance to pick the strongest applicants, and reach a view you can defend.
- 47
What are the benefits and risks of using artificial intelligence to read scans?
What to cover: Give one real benefit, such as speed, and one real risk, such as bias in training data or unclear responsibility for errors. Our AI in medicine guide has examples.
- 48
Why is antibiotic resistance a problem, and what can a doctor do about it?
What to cover: Explain how resistance develops and why few new antibiotics are coming, then the practical side: prescribing only when needed. See our antimicrobial resistance guide.
- 49
You change your mind about something in the middle of an answer. What should you do?
What to cover: Say so openly and explain what made you think again. Updating your view on better evidence is a strength in a doctor.
Model answer
A town with more GPs per person has fewer emergency admissions. Does that prove more GPs reduce admissions?
No, it does not prove it, although it is a reasonable idea to test. The figures show the two things go together, but that could be for other reasons. A town with more GPs might also be wealthier, younger or healthier, and all of those would mean fewer emergency admissions whatever the number of GPs.
It could also work the other way round. GPs may choose to work in towns that are easier places to practise, which tend to be healthier ones. And there could be differences in how admissions are counted, or a large hospital nearby that changes the pattern.
To find out properly, I would want to compare towns that are similar in age, income and health, or look at what happens to admissions in a town when it gains or loses GPs over time. If admissions fell after GPs were added, and not in similar towns that did not add any, I would be much more convinced. The idea makes sense, because good primary care can catch problems early, but I would want that evidence before telling a health board to spend money on it.
Go deeper: Data interpretation MMI questions
Reflection and personal qualities
What St Andrews says: St Andrews lists reflection among the things you "may also be assessed on". Its personal statement guidance asks applicants to reflect on their experiences and to show empathy, listening, leadership, teamwork, resilience and perseverance. University of St Andrews, Medicine personal statement and reference guidance
Reflection means looking back at what happened, what you thought and felt, what you learned and what you would do differently. St Andrews asks its students to build a portfolio on their personal development and professional behaviour throughout the course, so it wants applicants who already do this. The strongest answers include a moment that did not go well.
- 50
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.
- 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
Tell me about a time you led a group. What would you do differently now?
What to cover: Give a specific example, what you did as leader and what you learned. The second half of the question is where the marks are.
- 53
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. Showing you can take criticism well matters in a profession built on feedback.
- 54
Choose one experience from your personal statement and tell me what you learned from it about yourself.
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.
- 55
St Andrews students keep a portfolio of their personal and professional development. What would you put in it after your first month?
What to cover: Name one or two realistic goals, such as settling into independent study, and how you would know you had met them.
- 56
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.
- 57
When have you had to persevere with something you found difficult?
What to cover: Choose a real struggle, say what kept you going and what you learned. Perseverance is one of the qualities St Andrews names.
- 58
What is your biggest weakness, and what are you doing about it?
What to cover: Name a real weakness that would matter in medicine and show the steps you are already taking. A disguised strength convinces nobody.
Model answer
St Andrews students keep a portfolio of their personal and professional development. What would you put in it after your first month?
After my first month I think I would write about learning to study independently. At school my week is planned for me, and I know the jump to a medical degree, where much of the learning is up to me, will be hard. I would write down how I was organising my week, what was working and what was not.
I would also want to reflect on the first time I spoke to a patient. St Andrews students meet patients with long-term conditions in the first year, and I expect I will be nervous. I would write about what I asked, what the patient said, what I felt and what I would do differently next time, perhaps asking more open questions.
I already keep a short diary from my volunteering, and the habit has helped. Writing down a hard moment, such as a resident becoming upset, made me think about why it happened and what I could do better. A portfolio would just make that more structured, and I would use it properly, not fill it in the night before a deadline.
Go deeper: The GMC guide for interviews
How is the St Andrews MMI scored?
St Andrews says decisions to make offers are based on the interview score and the route you applied to: the Scotland route, the England route or No Preference. Where two applicants have the same interview score, the UCAT global score separates them. It does not publish how the four station scores are combined.
Because your application is not scored before interview, your grades and personal statement got you through the hurdles but do not add to your interview score. The interview is where the decision is made.
Source: University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected (interview delivery stated for 2026 entry; season and format given as the usual pattern, no year)
What should I bring, and what if I need adjustments?
- Photo ID, twice: before the interview you scan and send one photographic ID to the admissions team, and you bring the same document on the day. Without acceptable ID you will not be allowed to sit the interview.
- Accepted ID: a current, signed original passport; a current, signed photocard driving licence (full or provisional); or a current, signed government identity card with your photograph. A child's passport, which is usually unsigned, is not accepted on its own.
- Not accepted: bus or travel passes, library cards, student or school ID cards, copies of documents, or anything expired.
- If you have none of these: your school or college can attach your photograph to headed notepaper confirming your identity and date of birth, signed by a head teacher or senior member of staff with the school stamp across the photograph, and signed by you.
- Names must match: the name and date of birth on your ID must match your UCAS application. If they do not, email medical.admissions@st-andrews.ac.uk as soon as your invitation arrives.
- Adjustments: tell the medical admissions team well in advance about any additional support needs, including temporary injuries or medical conditions.
Source: University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected (interview delivery stated for 2026 entry; season and format given as the usual pattern, no year)
How is the ScotGEM interview different?
ScotGEM is a four-year graduate entry MBChB run jointly by St Andrews and Dundee with NHS partners, open only to Home and RUK fee status applicants. It has its own selection process. Applicants must complete an online questionnaire (the deadline is likely to be mid November 2026) and are ranked for interview on their GAMSAT score, not the UCAT.
ScotGEM interviews are usually held at the University of Dundee School of Medicine at Ninewells Hospital. They are also MMIs, but each station usually lasts seven minutes, with 30-second breaks between stations and a card of simple instructions at each one. Expect questions on your motivation, your relevant work experience, your personal attributes and why you have applied to ScotGEM in particular. Most decisions will not be made until the middle of March 2027. More on the course is in our ScotGEM graduate entry guide.
Source: University of St Andrews, Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) MBChB course page (2027 entry); University of St Andrews, How ScotGEM students are selected (2027 entry (questionnaire deadline November 2026, decisions March 2027))
What happens after the St Andrews interview?
St Andrews notifies decisions through UCAS. Some decisions may be made earlier in the cycle, but the majority are made in line with UCAS published deadlines, so with interviews running until March, many applicants wait until the spring. If you are unsuccessful, the information on UCAS Track includes some feedback on why.
For 2025 entry, 306 of the 440 UK applicants interviewed (Home and RUK fee status) received an offer (70%), and 105 of 123 international interviewees (85%). These figures come from the School of Medicine's own admissions data, as shown on our St Andrews profile. An offer is conditional on meeting its academic conditions and on the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme check before you arrive.
Source: University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected (interview delivery stated for 2026 entry; season and format given as the usual pattern, no year); University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc (Hons) A100 course page (2027 entry); Admissions statistics as published on our St Andrews profile, from the School of Medicine's admissions data page (2025 entry)
Practise a St Andrews-style interview
A timed mock in the format St Andrews uses, built from the themes St Andrews publishes. Record yourself, then mark it against the pointers above.
Common mistakes at the St Andrews interview
- 1
Treating one station as a write-off
With usually only four stations, each one is a large share of your score. If a station goes badly, leave it at the door and start the next one fresh.
- 2
Forgetting that communication is marked everywhere
St Andrews assesses communication and interpersonal skills at each station, not only in the role play. Listen, answer the question asked and speak clearly in every room.
- 3
Talking at the actor
The role play is a conversation with someone reacting to you. Ask questions, let them speak, and respond to what they say instead of delivering a prepared script.
- 4
Describing work experience without reflecting on it
St Andrews expects you to reflect on what you learned. Say what you saw, what it made you think and how it changed you.
- 5
Not knowing why you chose your route
Offers are made on the interview score and the route you applied to. Be ready to explain your choice of Scotland, England or No Preference.
- 6
Bringing the wrong ID
The ID must be original, current and signed, and it must match the one you sent in advance. A child's passport or a school card will not do.
- 7
Asking to move the date for a minor clash
St Andrews expects you to accept the date offered and will only try to move it for exceptional reasons, such as another interview, an exam or illness.
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FAQs
St Andrews medicine interview: common questions
Does St Andrews interview for medicine?
Yes. Offers for the A100 BSc Medicine are based on a multiple mini interview (MMI), usually four stations of about six minutes each, and applicants are invited after meeting St Andrews' academic, reference and work experience hurdles.
ScotGEM, the graduate entry course run with Dundee, has its own MMI at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
When are St Andrews medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
Usually on dates in early December 2026 and then in January, February and March 2027. St Andrews describes this as its usual pattern and does not publish individual dates.
Compare St Andrews with your other schools in our UK medical school interview dates table.
When will I hear whether I have a St Andrews medicine interview?
Any time from November up to March: St Andrews emails invitations at various times across that period, so a later invitation is normal.
Check the email address on your UCAS application, including the spam folder. You will also be asked to scan and send your photo ID before the interview.
Are St Andrews medicine interviews online or in person?
Both, depending on fee status: for 2026 entry, Home-funded applicants interviewed in person in St Andrews and all other fee statuses, including RUK and overseas, interviewed online.
St Andrews treats rest-of-UK (RUK) applicants as a separate fee status from Home, so an applicant from England, Wales or Northern Ireland should expect the online route unless the invitation says otherwise.
St Andrews had not published a separate 2027 statement when we checked on 24 October 2026, so confirm the delivery in your invitation.
How many stations are in the St Andrews MMI, and how long is it?
Usually four stations of about six minutes each. Communication and interpersonal skills are assessed at every station, and at least one involves role play with an actor.
St Andrews does not publish the total length of the circuit or the reading time between stations.
What does St Andrews look for at interview?
An understanding of medicine as a career and an appreciation of the realities of working in a caring profession, with communication and interpersonal skills assessed at every station. St Andrews says you may also be assessed on critical thinking, reflection and your ability to discuss ethical issues.
How does St Andrews choose who to interview for medicine?
Applicants who clear St Andrews' hurdles (a strong academic record, a positive reference and relevant, medically related work experience) are ranked on their UCAT global score, and the highest ranked are invited. The details are on our St Andrews medical school profile.
How competitive is the St Andrews medicine interview?
For 2025 entry, 70% of UK applicants interviewed (Home and RUK fee status together) received an offer (306 of 440), and 85% of international interviewees (105 of 123).
The figures come from the School of Medicine's own admissions data, as shown on our St Andrews profile.
Are international applicants interviewed differently at St Andrews?
No: international applicants sit the same MMI, online, and St Andrews does not say the online stations differ from the in-person ones. For 2026 entry, every applicant without Home-funded fee status, RUK included, interviewed online. Overseas students on the A100 complete their final three years at Manchester.
Canadian residents classed as overseas may look at the separate A990 route. Our virtual interview tips cover camera, sound and pacing for an online MMI.
When will I hear from St Andrews after my interview?
Most applicants hear in line with UCAS published deadlines, through UCAS, though some decisions may be made earlier in the cycle.
If you are unsuccessful, UCAS Track includes some feedback on why.
Can I reschedule a St Andrews medicine interview?
Only for an exceptional reason: St Andrews expects you to accept the date offered, and will try to offer another for reasons such as another interview, an exam or illness.
If you become ill near to or on the day, tell the School as soon as possible. It can only offer a new date if there is space on another scheduled interview day.
Does the A100 route I chose affect my St Andrews offer?
Yes: St Andrews makes offers on the interview score and the route you applied to, Scotland, England or No Preference. The interview itself is the same for every route.
No Preference applicants are allocated to the England or Scotland route by the Medical Admissions Officer, fixed at the point of offer.
How is the ScotGEM interview different from the A100 interview?
ScotGEM interviews are MMIs usually held at the University of Dundee School of Medicine at Ninewells Hospital, with stations of usually seven minutes and 30-second breaks between them. Applicants are ranked for interview on the GAMSAT, not the UCAT.
Expect questions on motivation, work experience, personal attributes and why ScotGEM in particular. Most decisions will not be made until the middle of March 2027.
Where these facts come from
- University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc A100: How students are selected (interview delivery stated for 2026 entry; season and format given as the usual pattern, no year)
- University of St Andrews, Medicine BSc (Hons) A100 course page (2027 entry)
- University of St Andrews, Medicine A100 course pathways (no year stated)
- University of St Andrews, Medicine personal statement and reference guidance (no year stated)
- University of St Andrews, Medicine MBChB A10C (ScotCOM) course page (2027 entry)
- University of St Andrews, Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) MBChB course page (2027 entry)
- University of St Andrews, How ScotGEM students are selected (2027 entry (questionnaire deadline November 2026, decisions March 2027))
- Admissions statistics as published on our St Andrews profile, from the School of Medicine's admissions data page (2025 entry)
Last checked: 24 October 2026. Universities change interview arrangements during the cycle, so confirm on St Andrews's own page before you travel or book. The questions above are practice questions written by TheUKCATPeople from St Andrews's published guidance; they are not real or leaked interview questions.
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