Skip to content

How to prepare for Medicine Interviews

2017-10-05 · Long video (solo, talking head or whiteboard) · Ali, Chidera, a guest · recording, 13:22 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Medicine and his doctor years · mode: List of tips or lessons · tags: Aimed at students

Ali presents 15 tips from 10 medical students on preparing for medicine interviews (panel, MMI or Oxbridge): bullet-point talking points instead of scripts, many mock interviews with critical feedback, a calm confident mindset, knowing your weaknesses, keeping up with health news, and treating the interview as an honest conversation.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Ali introduces 15 tips from 10 medical students on medicine interviews

00:00:58 — Make a list of talking points; don't memorise answers

  • ★★ a guest: A student prepared for medicine interviews by writing down every question they might ask and shortlisting the work experience to talk about, such as a year as a healthcare assistant. — 00:01:01 · Medicine interview, Personal statement
  • ★★ a guest: The same student kept only one bullet point per experience in mind and talked around it, because unscripted interview answers come across as more fluid. — 00:01:59 · Medicine interview
  • ★★★ a guest: Another student listed the likely interview questions (why medicine, why this medical school, what you learned on work experience) and answered them in bullet points, since written paragraphs tempt you to learn and recite them. — 00:01:59 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A third student says memorised paragraphs leave you stressing over the next line in a medicine interview; note the core ideas, not the words, like a lecturer who stops reading the slides and becomes more engaging. — 00:02:36 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student advises getting friends to fire unexpected questions at you, since medicine interview practice is about learning to be spontaneous, not getting the right answers. — 00:03:04 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: One student gave a book of 100 interview questions to a friend's family, their mother, brother, friends and teachers for 20-minute mock interviews and asked for critical feedback; every time they were told they spoke too fast. — 00:03:04 · Medicine interview

00:03:13 — Ask friends to interview you; ask for feedback on your mannerisms

  • ★★ a guest: The same student says that speaking at what feels too slow is about the right speed in an interview, since fast answers go all over the place. (hedged) — 00:03:50 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student advises having friends or family ask your interview questions and comment on your mannerisms, where you look and your body language, to find bad habits when talking. — 00:04:39 · Medicine interview
  • ★★★ a guest: A student says the key to medicine interview preparation is being comfortable and confident: Cambridge and Oxford throw curveballs, and the only preparation is a mindset that lets you think things through and reply concisely. — 00:05:08 · University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: That student prepared by doing as many practice interviews as possible with teachers and parents, to practise staying calm and confident even when the answer was poor. — 00:05:08 · Medicine interview

00:05:15 — A calm, confident mindset; finding doctors to interview you

  • ★★ a guest: A student found a mock interview with a friend's father, a consultant used to interviewing applicants, among the most useful, and advises having people test you on basic sciences for Oxbridge. — 00:05:52 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: The same student advises asking any doctors you know basic questions on professionalism, ethics and the NHS for clinical interviews, since people you approach will often be more than happy to help. — 00:06:33 · NHS, Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: The student says practice gets you used to answering under pressure and to saying answers aloud, an important skill that makes the real medicine interview more comfortable. — 00:07:02 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student advises preparing in a way that fits you: work out your interview weakness, such as sounding flippant or arrogant ("GPs only deal with coughs and colds") or getting very anxious, and tackle it. — 00:07:02 · Medicine interview

00:07:11 — Identify your own weaknesses; leave your ego at the door

  • ★★ a guest: The same student advises mock interviews with parents' friends or colleagues you don't know well, to replicate the stress of talking to a stranger. — 00:07:37 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student advises leaving your ego at the door when getting critical feedback, in medicine interview preparation and in the rest of life: don't get defensive, and work on the parts you feasibly can. — 00:08:38 · Medicine interview

00:09:06 — Research the places you apply to; keep up with the news

  • ★★ a guest: A student advises finding out about the places you apply to; before applying to Birmingham this student looked up fun things to do there, such as a mini golf place at Star City. — 00:09:09 · Birmingham, Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student advises keeping up with current events in health and science before medicine interviews; this student read BBC Health every day on the train to school. — 00:09:09 · BBC Health, Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student says spontaneity in a medicine interview is good, but facts and current affairs cannot be improvised and need preparing. — 00:09:46 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: Another student read the health articles on BBC News and the latest Student BMJ before interviews and, for the more scientific Cambridge interview, read up on all their school subjects. — 00:09:46 · Student BMJ, University of Cambridge, Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student advises keeping go-to positive thoughts for nerves before an interview: past successes, stressful times that turned out well, and people who believe in you. — 00:10:28 · Medicine interview

00:10:41 — Positive thinking, a conversation, honesty, not over-preparing, relaxing

  • ★★★ a guest: A student advises treating a medicine interview as a conversation in which the interviewer is getting to know you, because medicine is largely communication; being honest then shows in your tone. — 00:11:13 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student advises talking honestly and genuinely in a medicine interview; a wordy style meant to sound intelligent comes across as stiff and weird. — 00:11:44 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student advises not over-preparing for a medicine interview but trusting yourself to answer some questions spontaneously, because spontaneity adds realness. — 00:12:13 · Medicine interview
  • ★★ a guest: A student's last tip is to relax: the more you prepare answers in advance, the more unexpected questions throw you, and the interview is a chat. — 00:12:13 · Medicine interview

00:12:41 — Closing: more interview videos coming in the next few weeks

  • ★★ Ali says more videos are coming in the next few weeks on specific parts of medicine interviews, such as answering common questions and Oxbridge interviews. — 00:12:41 · Medicine interview

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Medicine interview

Also: BBC Health · Birmingham · Multiple mini interview · NHS · Personal statement · Student BMJ · University of Cambridge · University of Oxford

Taking part: Chidera

Replies to

Replied to by

← Previous: Applying to Medicine at Oxford or Cambridge - Questions to ask yourself, open days, stereotypes · Next → My first lecture for medical students - Cambridge University medical student VLOG #09