Podcasts are an excellent method of passive learning and can provide huge benefits to students looking to expand their background knowledge of the medical field.
For your UK Medical School Interviews, you will be expected to be up-to-date with all the latest NHS Hot Topics and recent controversies. You’ll also be expected to have a strong understanding of the healthcare environment and what a job in the NHS entails.
Listening to these podcasts can help you gain an understanding of these aspects. Even better, you can listen to them any time of the day!
The key to maximising the benefits you gain from listening to podcasts is to engage with the content. Reflect on the stories and information that you’ve heard and consider how you’d go about communicating these messages to other people.
10 Medical Podcasts For Aspiring Medical Students Summary
Here are our top 10 medicine podcasts for aspiring medics:
Sharp Scratch
The King’s Fund
The Resus Room
Royal Society Of Medicine: Health Matters
BBC’s The NHS Frontline
How To Become A Doctor
The Application Doctor
The Health Foundation Podcast
Clinical Problem Solving podcast
BBC Health Check
👉🏻 Prefer Watching To Listening? Check Out Our Top 15 Medicine Documentaries Guide
1. The King’s Fund - Best Medical Education Podcast
Where Can I Find It?
The King’s Fund podcast is available from:
Length
Each episode lasts around 30 minutes long
Synopsis
The King's Fund is a charitable organisation designed to inform the public about issues concerning health and care in England.
The King's Fund podcast explores the current issues in healthcare, upcoming medical innovations, and government healthcare decisions which affect the NHS.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
The King’s Fund podcast is aimed at a lay audience, so it avoids using complicated healthcare jargon.
This makes it invaluable for medical school applicants, as it presents complex health concepts in a simple and easily digestible format.
Listening to The King’s Fund podcast can provide medical school applicants with a broader understanding of the NHS landscape, helping break down healthcare topics and providing real-world contexts that you can discuss during your UK medical school interviews.
👉🏻 Read more about the NHS workforce crisis and plans to address it in 2024
2. BMJ Student’s Sharp Scratch - Best Med Student Podcast
Where Can I Find It?
The Sharp Scratch podcast is available from:
Length
Each episode lasts between 40 - 50 minutes long
Synopsis
Sharp Scratch is produced by current medical students, junior doctors and specialists and provides an insight into the world of medical training, anecdotal lessons on how to be a good doctor, and the things that medical school doesn't teach you.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
Although aimed at medical students and newly qualified doctors, we think Sharp Scratch is a fantastic resource for medical school applicants to gain an awareness of the realities of being a medical student, the problems you might face, and how other students have approached these.
Listening to the students’ and doctors’ personal experiences will provide medical school applicants with a fantastic knowledge base to discuss during their UK medical school interviews.
👉🏻 Read more about ethical decision-making in medicine
3. The Resus Room - Best Emergency Medicine Podcast
Where Can I Find It?
The Resus Room is available from:
Length
Each episode lasts approximately 60 minutes long
Synopsis
The Resus Room discusses emergency medicine and pre-hospital care in the UK, providing expert discussions on the latest research, guidelines, and practices in resuscitation
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
Whilst some episodes are more relevant to medical school applicants than others, we love The Resus Room Podcast.
Again, it provides wonderfully simplified explanations of complex emergency medicine concepts, which will aid aspiring medical student’s understanding of how the emergency services in the UK work.
We especially love the Caring In a Broken System episode, which highlights the NHS Hot Topic of waiting times and service backlogs in the NHS from the perspective of the doctors and healthcare professionals working within the system.
👉🏻 Read more about NHS Bed Shortages and Winter Pressures
3. The Royal Societal of Medicine: Health Matters
Where Can I Find It?
The RSM Health Matters podcast is available from:
Length
Each episode lasts 30 minutes long
Synopsis
RSM’s Health Matters podcast discusses upcoming healthcare topics such as the use of AI in Medicine, Patient Safety, the role of NICE and whistleblowing.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
Like others in this list, we love how Health Matters simply discusses complex health issues, making it hugely beneficial for medical school applicants, as it does not require any prior understanding of the discussed topics.
It talks through many relevant NHS hot topics for you to discuss in your UK Medical School Interview.
👉🏻 Read more about other hot topics affecting the NHS in 2024
5. The NHS Frontline - Best NHS Podcast
Where Can I Find It?
Length
Each episode lasts 30 minutes long
Synopsis
The NHS Frontline follows healthcare staff working on COVID-19 wards at Bradford Royal Infirmary, sharing their stories and experiences whilst navigating the unknown.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
COVID-19 is a huge NHS Hot Topic which can come up during your UK Medical School Interviews.
Whilst the facts and figures regarding COVID are important for you to know, understanding the impact of the pandemic on the NHS, its staff and patients, is just as important.
This podcast gives you a unique and detailed insight into this and will be very useful to talk about at your interviews.
👉🏻 Read more about informed consent in medicine
6. How To Become A Doctor - Best Medical Application Podcast
Where Can I Find It?
Length
Each episode lasts between 20 - 30 minutes long
Synopsis
How To Become A Doctor is a podcast hosted by UK Medical Students and discusses the daily life of a student studying medicine in the UK, from lectures to hospital placements. It further explores the jump from being a student to becoming a doctor, and how junior doctors have navigated this.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
The journey to medical school can be challenging, and this podcast provides useful advice to equip applicants with the tools needed to excel in application and life at medical school.
We love the practical and useful advice that this podcast gives.
👉🏻 Read more: Ultimate Medicine Interview Preparation Guide 2024
7. The Application Doctor
Where Can I Find It?
The Application Doctor podcast is available from:
Length
Each episode lasts between 20 - 25 minutes long
Synopsis
The Application Doctor podcast provides guidance and advice to help medical school applicants strengthen their applications and enhance their chances of achieving a UK medical school offer.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
We know that when revising for your A-level exams, UCAT and applying to medical school, you might be pushed for time.
These bite-sized podcasts are fantastic to listen to on the go or squeeze into your day.
They provide a fantastic overview of the knowledge you’ll need for your medical school interviews, such as NHS Hot Topics, Ethical Scenarios and more.
👉🏻 Read more about how much it costs to become a doctor in the UK
8. The Health Foundation Podcast
Where Can I Find It?
Health.Org Website
Length
Each episode lasts approximately 30 minutes long
Synopsis
The Health Foundation Podcast contains interviews with healthcare experts and leading researchers to discuss the crucial issues affecting the NHS and healthcare in the UK.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
The Health Foundation podcast is useful for UK medical school applicants, as it highlights the changing nature of the healthcare climate, and provides insight into how health delivery might change in the future.
These are factors which will be beneficial to demonstrate your understanding of during your UK Medical School Interviews.
👉🏻 Read more about privatisation of the NHS
9. Clinical Problem Solvers Podcast
Where Can I Find It?
Length
Each episode lasts between 40 - 50 minutes long
Synopsis
The Clinical Problem Solvers podcast introduces the concept of diagnostic reasoning, and how to think like a doctor. It discusses patient stories and science dilemmas broken down through careful problem-solving.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
This podcast breaks down a variety of different healthcare topics and issues, such as women’s health, racism in medicine and medical diagnostic approaches.
Although some episodes may be too high-yield for medical school applicants, we recommend taking a listen and trying to get your head around how doctors use clinical reasoning and decision-making to make judgements about a patient’s most likely diagnosis.
It provides a real insight into what it’s like to be a doctor making large decisions, and how the risks of these are reduced through careful clinical reasoning.
👉🏻 Read more about working and training in the NHS as a doctor
10. BBC Health Check
Where Can I Find It?
Length
Each episode lasts approximately 30 minutes long
Synopsis
BBC Health Check highlights international health issues and medical breakthroughs, such as the latest vaccines, policy changes and technological advancements.
Why We Recommend It For Medical School Applicants:
For your medical school interviews, you will be required to have an up-to-date knowledge of some of the latest medical advancements and policy changes in the UK.
Having an understanding of the international scale of these changes will impress your medical school interviewer and demonstrate your passion for medicine and learning!
👉🏻 Read more about abortion in the UK for medicine interviews
Medical School Podcasts Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best podcasts for UK medical school applicants to listen to?
Explore podcasts like The King’s Fund, Sharp Scratch, and The Resus Room for insights into healthcare and medical training.
How can listening to medical podcasts help with medical school interviews?
Medical podcasts provide current NHS topics, healthcare insights, and real-world medical scenarios, enhancing your interview readiness. The best medical podcasts will provide a simplified explanation of complex topics, helping you to build more of an understanding.
Where can I find The King's Fund podcast?
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and The King’s Fund website, offering a deep dive into healthcare issues.
What makes the Sharp Scratch podcast useful for aspiring doctors?
It offers perspectives from medical students and junior doctors, covering challenges and experiences in medical training.
Can podcasts improve my understanding of the NHS for medical school applications?
Yes, podcasts like BBC’s The NHS Frontline provide a unique view into NHS operations, beneficial for application insights. These are the best medical school podcasts to help you prepare for your interviews.
What topics do medical podcasts for UK applicants cover?
They cover a range of topics including NHS hot topics, medical ethics, patient safety, and healthcare innovations, all of which it is important for premed students to have a solid understanding of.
How long are episodes of The Health Foundation Podcast?
Typically around 30 minutes, discussing crucial issues affecting the NHS and healthcare in the UK.
Why is the Clinical Problem Solvers podcast recommended for medical school applicants?
It introduces diagnostic reasoning and showcases how doctors approach patient care, aiding interview discussion points.
What is the focus of the BBC Health Check podcast?
It highlights international health issues and medical breakthroughs, providing a global perspective on healthcare.
Are there podcasts that offer advice on strengthening my medical school application?
Yes, The Application Doctor podcast offers targeted advice to enhance your med school application and interview performance, making the medical school admissions process as simple as possible.
