🖥️ UCAT
🔬 BMAT
🦷 Dentistry
💼 Application Guide
📚 Personal Statement
💬 Interviews
🐶 Veterinary Medicine
🏫 Medical Schools
🌍 International Medicine
🎓 Graduate Entry Medicine
Application Guide 2024:
Interview
Top 6 Tips to Ace your MMI Medical School Interview in 2024
Adam
Admissions Expert at TheUKCATPeople
Introduction
With how monumental MMI medicine interview preparation can seem, it’s often difficult to know where to start. However, some rules and tips are universal and can help you no matter the style, location, or content of your next interview.
Read through the top 6 tips of one of our expert medical student tutors who received four offers following his interviews.
🏫
1. Consider medicine interview etiquette
It can sometimes be difficult to know how to act in a medical school interview, or what’s expected of you. Follow these key rules and you’ll know what to expect so that you can focus on what really matters - your answers.
Should you handshake in medical school interview? In short - it doesn't matter. Whatever feels most comfortable to you. If your interviewer reaches out to shake your hand then you should, of course, do so, but if not then there is no requirement. Medical schools understand that candidates may not want to for a variety of reasons, not least of all the covid-19 pandemic.
Introductions: Your interviewer will likely introduce themself, and if you are given the opportunity to do so then you should - briefly. This also goes for any icebreaker questions such as “how was your journey in?” - these should be answered politely but not in great detail, as you don’t want to take time away from your answers to more important questions.
Dress to impress: Remember to dress according to the dress code that the university has given you. For more in-depth advice on what this may entail, check out our full medical school interview dress code guide.
⭐
2. Remember the three golden rules
There are three golden rules that every medical school interview answer should follow. Awareness of them is the key to making sure that all of your answers are exceptional.
Answer the question: Yes, this seems obvious, but it’s worth stating. In particular, be wary of questions that sound like ones you may expect but are slightly different - it’s very easy to answer a question adjacent to that which you have been asked rather than the question itself.
Sell yourself: You should take every opportunity possible to talk about your personal attributes and work experience. The things that make you a great candidate aren’t only to be shared in response to direct questions about it - tie it in elsewhere too. For example, when asked about a relevant issue in the NHS, mention how you saw the impact of this on your work experience.
Sound different from the people before and after you: Yes, medicine is a lifelong learning process - but your interviewer has likely heard this a dozen times today already. Wherever possible, try to make unique points or to tie more generic ones into your own experiences so that they are as memorable as possible.
📚
3. Know how to structure a medical school interview answer
Your answers shouldn’t just be a collection of disparate thoughts, as this can be rather tricky for an interviewer to follow.
Rather, follow a set structure:
Introduction: This introduces the main themes of your answer, and can be a chance to layout “headings” for your main points if you already know them.
Main body: Make sure that each point you make is clear and distinct. Introduce each one, and use linking words such as “additionally”.
Conclusion: Tie your points together and link them back to the question that you were originally asked.
❓ Applying in 2024 for 2025 Entry?
✅ Join our incredibly successful Ultimate Package programme
✅ Receive 1-1 mentoring from qualified doctors & dentists
✅ Advice on work experience, volunteering, wider reading & universities
✅ Expert UCAT Tutoring, Personal Statement Editing & Interview Tutoring
✅ 100s of successful students
✍️
4. Know when to start - and when to stop talking
This tip is a two-for-one.
First, know when to start - this means that you shouldn’t leave long pauses unless you absolutely have to. If you’re thinking about your answer to a question, then talk through this process!
The interviewer will be interested to know how you think about things, and it’s better than spending time silent which certainly won’t net you any points.
Second, know when to stop. It can be tempting to say everything that you can think of in response to a question that you may have just read up on last night - however, more time spent on one question means less time on every other question that the interviewer wants to ask you.
Remember to stop once the quality of your answer dips below the quality of the first point you could make for a subsequent question, and give the interviewer a chance to ask you whatever else they would like.
📜
5. Address the questions behind the question
Interviewers don’t just ask questions on a whim - each one is posed with intent, to ascertain some kind of information about you.
Ask yourself what the questions behind the question are, and address these - for instance, in the introduction or conclusion to your answer.
As an example, let’s take the classic interview question and consider how to answer: “What is your biggest weakness?”
Do you have the self-awareness to identify your weaknesses?
Is your biggest weakness something that won’t prohibit you from studying/practising medicine?
Do you know how to improve upon your weaknesses?
Given this, identify a weakness that is indeed a weakness but not so severe that it would bar you from practising medicine.
Then, mention your awareness of it and the concrete measures which you are taking to improve upon it.
🏫
6. Use what others have said
It can sometimes be tricky to sell yourself in an interview without feeling arrogant, or like you’re bragging.
Remember that you aren’t, however! Universities want to know why you’d be a good candidate, and you should be giving them this information exactly.
If you’re struggling with this, then try talking about good things that others have said about you - for instance: “My rugby coach told me in my most recent performance review that he respected my natural leadership abilities as captain of the team.” This can feel more humble.
⭐
Good luck!
If you’re looking for guides to other possible medicine stations, including how to answer questions like these mock medicine interview questions, then check out the other articles in our Ultimate Medicine Interview Guide 2024!
For individual help or 1-1 medicine interview tutoring, 1-1 mock interviews or general medicine interview coaching, get in touch with us at TheUKCATPeople. We offer expert medical interview preparation, including for specific medical schools. Check out the packages that we offer here!
😊
Other Information
In TheUKCATPeople Ultimate Interview Guide 2024, you’ll find the information that you need to pass your interviews with flying colours - both MMI and panel-style. Below are links to our pages:
1 to 1 UCAT Tutoring - Weekly
✅ Intensive UCAT Tutoring - Cover VR, QR, DM, AR & SJT
✅ Expert UCAT Tutors - top-scoring tutors will guide you through
✅ Perfect your practice - we will iron out weaknesses with bespoke help
✅ 1-1 Online Tutoring - no group work - have a personal 1:1 tutor
📚
🩺
⭐
❓
⭐
⭐
✅
⭐
❓
💼
📚
⚡️
🏆
Interview Tutoring with Experts in 2024
📈 Want to boost your chances of succeeding in your medicine interview? Join one of our bespoke 1-1 medicine interview tutoring programmes, tailored to your chosen universities
🏆 Interview Tutoring is also available as part of our Ultimate Packages - alongside mentoring with a qualified doctor, personal statement editing, interview coaching and more!
👉🏼 Unsure? Or, want to find out more? Book a FREE CONSULTATION with an Interview Expert Today
✅
💪🏽
❓
🚀
Related Links
Free Guides
Important Cases in The NHS: MMI Interview Guides
Ethics For MMI Medicine Interviews
MMI Interview Stations
NHS Hot Topics 2024
👉🏻 7 Day NHS
Applying In 2024 For 2025 Entry?
Need help making your application stand out?
Our admission experts will guide you through exactly what you need to be doing to boost your application including UCAT preparation - which starts now!
100s of 5* reviews
Interview - 1-1 Coaching & 1-1 Mock Interviews [Panel & MMI]
Need help preparing for Interviews?
Interview experts will provide tailored coaching to all four of your universities including MMI & Panel mock interviews
100s of 5* reviews.