Interview Insights: Common Interview Stations/Questions

Preparing for your medical school interview requires dedication, practice, and self-reflection. By following these tips and example questions, you can approach your interview with confidence and authenticity. Remember to be yourself, stay composed under pressure, and showcase your passion for medicine and dedication to patient care. We have prepared some example panel and MMI interview questions for you to practice! 

 

Personal questions & Motivations

  1. Tell us about yourself and why you decided to pursue a career in medicine.
  2. How do you handle stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance?
  3. Can you describe a time when you demonstrated leadership?
  4. How do you balance workload and personal responsibilities?
  5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  6. How do you handle stress and pressure?
  7. How do you prioritise tasks and manage your time effectively?
  8. How do you stay organised and focused?
  9. What are your goals for the future?
  10. What is your greatest achievement?

Communication & Empathy

  1. Describe a challenging situation you faced and how you overcame it.
  2. Describe a situation where you had to handle a difficult client/colleague/patient/family. 
  3. Have you ever admitted to making a mistake? How did you handle it?
  4. How do you manage emotions in challenging situations? 
  5. How do you deal with criticism or negative feedback?
  6. How would you verbally teach someone how to tie their shoelaces?
  7. How would you handle a conflict between colleagues?
  8. How do you approach building trust and rapport with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds?
  9. You accidentally ran over your neighbour’s cat, what will you do?
  10. How would you react to your patient being harmed due to a colleague’s mistake?

Understanding of Medicine

  1. What are your long-term career goals in medicine, and how do you plan to achieve them?
  2. What qualities do you possess that make you well-suited for a career in medicine?
  3. What experiences have prepared you for a career in medicine?
  4. How do you stay current with developments and issues in the field of healthcare?
  5. Discuss a healthcare-related ethical dilemma you have encountered and how you resolved it.
  6. Describe a meaningful clinical or volunteer experience and its impact on you.
  7. How can/will you contribute to the medical school if accepted?
  8. Discuss a healthcare policy or public health issue that you are passionate about.
  9. Do you think doctors need to stay current in the field of medicine?
  10. What is the difference between being a doctor and a nurse?

Example MMI Stations

Ethical Dilemmas: In this scenario, you are part of a liver transplant team. There is a donor liver that is suitable for transplant in three patients with liver failure. Please explain your approach to this dilemma, as all three patients will need this life-saving treatment and resource is limited. Patient A is a patient with extensive alcohol and drug use of 30 years, Patient B is a 20-year-old who self-harmed through a paracetamol overdose, Patient C is a 35-year-old with liver failure caused by autoimmune disease.

 

Professionalism: In this scenario, you play the role of a doctor who is assigned to a clinic in a rural area. The local community expects you to perform surgeries without proper equipment or training. What would you do?

 

Critical Thinking: In this scenario, you are in a steering group that discusses the allocation of health resources to address social issues such as poverty, access to education, and housing issues. Please present your view(s) on how this can be approached.

 

Medical Knowledge: The NHS has suspended numerous elective and non-essential treatments and surgeries during the COVOD-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the doctors/nurses strikes placed additional load onto the waitlists. Do you agree with this, and what do you think are the effects on the NHS and public?

 

Communication Skills: You missed your alarm, and you are now running late to meet your in-laws. As you were in a rush, you forgot to check the rear mirror as you tried to back out of the garage. You have accidentally run over your neighbour’s cat. There is no sign of life, and you are certain the cat has died. Your elderly neighbour, Doris, loved her cat and will be devastated if she finds out. What would you do next?

 
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