medicine interview personal statement questions

How to Answer the “Why Medicine” Interview Question

By Kevin Jubbal, M.D.
September 3, 2022
Accompanying Video , Pre-med
Interview , Medical School Application

Sometimes the simplest questions are also the most difficult to answer. On the surface, the “why medicine” question may seem like a straightforward question with an equally straightforward answer; however, this isn’t the case.

Simple as it is, this question forces you to deeply examine your own motivations for pursuing medicine. As such, it is one of the most important questions you have to answer – not only for medical school applications and interviews but also for yourself.

Let’s break down how to answer this common interview question.

Medical school is not for the faint of heart. Regardless of how intelligent you are or how hard you work, you will face numerous challenges and obstacles on your way to becoming a doctor. Understanding your true motivations will help you push through difficult times and remind you of why you’re pursuing medicine in the first place.

One of the worst things you can do is fabricate a response in an attempt to present yourself in the best possible light. Not only will you be lying to your interviewer, and make yourself more susceptible to any curveballs they might throw at you, but you’ll also be lying to yourself.

When thinking about how you want to answer this question, it is important to look inward. This is your chance to think about yourself, your life, and why you want to pursue medicine, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

With that out of the way, let’s dive deeper and talk about what interviewers are looking for in your response.

What Interviewers Are Looking For

First and foremost, admissions committees use this question to get to know you better as a person. They have already seen your application and read through your personal statement. Now, they want to get to know the person behind it all.

The “why do you want to be a doctor” question should not be a regurgitation of your primary application or personal statement , but rather a genuine discussion about what led you to pursue medicine and why it’s the career for you.

A well-thought-out answer shows that you have put considerable thought into your reasons for pursuing medicine and weighed the pros and cons of this career field. It also shows that you know what you’re in for and are prepared for the challenges ahead of you.

This is also the perfect opportunity for admissions committees to assess your in-person communication skills – something they can’t do at any other point in the application process. Although admissions committees can get a feel for your written communication skills through your essays and personal statement, the interview is where they get to see how you interact with others.

Communication skills are fundamental for aspiring physicians. You want to make sure to communicate your reasons for pursuing medicine as clearly and effectively as possible. If you can’t explain to someone why you want to go into medicine, you will likely have trouble communicating a difficult diagnosis to a patient.

Another thing that interviewers are looking for is your commitment to medicine. Becoming a physician is one of the longest and most challenging career paths that you can choose. Admissions committees want to make sure that you are committed to becoming a physician and are willing to overcome the challenges ahead of you.

Part of the reason that medical school admissions are so rigorous is that medical schools want to make sure that they’re accepting students who will ultimately graduate and become practicing physicians. Although getting into medical school is no easy feat, there are still some students who don’t end up completing medical school.

Some drop out due to health issues, family circumstances, or other unforeseen events. Others drop out because they are unable to handle the rigors of medical school or decide that they no longer want to become a doctor.

This affects medical schools in two ways. First, it’s bad from a financial perspective. Once a student matriculates into medical school and begins classes, their spot is locked in and is not easily replaced.

If a student drops out of medical school during their second year, the school can’t just replace their spot with another second-year medical student. Instead, they lose out on the tuition that the student would have provided over the next two years of their training.

In addition, a high attrition rate can affect the academic reputation of a medical school. Schools with high dropout rates may deter students from applying or attending that school.

For these reasons, medical schools are incentivized to be cautious when choosing students. The “why do you want to be a doctor” question is one way that schools can determine which students are driven and motivated enough to make it through medical school.

How to Approach the “Why Medicine” Question

Now that you know why this question is so important, how should you approach it?

Much like with your medical school application, you want to build a narrative around the “why medicine” question. You should follow the same approach that you would if you were writing a good story.

First, you want to have a beginning, middle, and end to your response. This will allow you to organize your ideas in such a way that they flow seamlessly together. Remember, this is your chance to show admissions committees your stellar communication skills. If you jump around from point to point haphazardly, your response can be confusing and difficult to follow.

We recommend formatting your response in the following way.

Start by discussing how you were first introduced to the field of medicine. If possible, incorporate specific experiences and follow the “show don’t tell” principle. This will make your response much more engaging and grab your interviewer’s attention.

Next, discuss how you learned more about the field. What did you do to educate yourself about the world of medicine and the realities of being a doctor? This is your chance to discuss any stand-out experiences that you had and what they taught you about medicine.

Lastly, you should talk about why you are committed to medicine. What does becoming a doctor offer you that other careers, especially other careers in healthcare, don’t? Be specific here.

A great way to approach this part of your response is to think about the impact you want to have on your patients. What can you offer your patients as a physician that you can’t offer in other careers and why are these things important to you?

For example, you might discuss the fact that physicians possess deep knowledge and understanding of medicine which provides them with a level of problem-solving ability and intellectual stimulation that you don’t get in other fields of healthcare. By possessing this level of knowledge yourself, you’ll be able to provide more nuanced care to your future patients.

This is just one example to get you thinking. It is important for you to reflect on your specific reasons for pursuing medicine. Your response should be genuine and true to yourself.

Mistakes to Avoid

Now, let’s talk about some mistakes to avoid.

Although it is important to prepare for this question by organizing your thoughts, you should avoid trying to memorize a “perfect response.” Interviewers are trying to assess your communication skills and this approach often feels rehearsed – which can come across as disingenuous.

Remember, you won’t have a script when you’re talking to patients. Instead, you will have knowledge in your head that you need to communicate effectively to the person sitting in front of you. This is no different. You want to show the interviewer who you are as a person, and let your personality shine through. This is often difficult to do when you’re reading from a script.

Next, avoid responses like “I like helping people” or “I love learning about the human body.” These are some of the most common answers that premeds give to interviewers. If you give a similarly generic answer, you will have a difficult time standing out from the hundreds of other premeds who said the exact same thing.

In addition, these responses aren’t specific to becoming a doctor. You can help people and learn about the human body in many different career fields, so why become a doctor instead of a nurse, physician assistant, or physical therapist? You want your answer to reflect why you want to become a doctor specifically and why it’s the best career for you.

Next, avoid answers that involve money, power, or respect . These responses indicate that your reasons for pursuing medicine are extrinsic – meaning they come from external sources instead of internal ones. Although these reasons may be involved in your decision to become a physician, they can come across as selfish and lead interviewers to question your commitment to medicine.

Being a doctor is a field focused on helping people. Your response shouldn’t be focused on what medicine can offer you, but on what you can offer the field of medicine — and ultimately your future patients.

In addition, research has shown that intrinsic motivations for becoming a doctor, such as enjoying the intellectual challenge of medicine, are correlated with increased academic performance, whereas extrinsic motivations had no significant association with a medical student’s academic performance.

This last point should be obvious, but don’t say you’re going into medicine because your parents are doctors or because they want you to go into medicine. Although having family members in medicine can be a great motivator and provide you with firsthand perspectives of what it’s like to be a doctor, this should not be your primary reason.

Similar to the previous point, this response suggests that your motivations for pursuing medicine are extrinsic. They are influenced by what others want for you instead of what you want for yourself – which is often a red flag for interviewers.

Although the “why medicine” question is one of the more difficult questions you will have to answer when applying to medical school, it is just one aspect of the medical school interview. In addition to practicing what to say, you also need to practice how to say it–which is often difficult to do on your own.

While your friends and family can help you sound good, they won’t have the nuanced understanding of what medical school admissions committees are looking for. The best way to prepare is by completing mock interviews with doctors or instructors who have served on actual medical school admissions committees.

In a Med School Insiders mock interview , you’ll work with a former admissions committee physician who knows firsthand what interviewers are looking for and how to present yourself in the best light. Together, our team has conducted thousands of interviews and we know the process inside and out.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out our list of the Most Common Medical School Interview Questions or our Guide to the Medical School Interview .

Kevin Jubbal, M.D.

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Why medicine?: how to answer this common MD interview question

For many applicants, the question, “Why medicine?” is an expected, yet challenging to answer when asked in an interview setting. Fortunately, you’ve likely reflected on this question when considering whether to apply to medical school and throughout the application process, particularly when writing your personal statement. But you might not have had to synthesize these ideas into something that can be concise enough to verbally communicate. Here's a framework for how to communicate an effective answer to this question when asked in an interview setting.

How to answer "Why medicine?"

1. the content.

Oftentimes, interviewers will ask you, “Why do you want to go into medicine?” to elicit two main things.

The first aspect they want to hear is what you understand to be at the heart of doctoring. As you likely have discovered, doctors see their work as more than just diagnosis and treatment—it involves all aspects of serving patients in the clinic or hospital, and complementary work to broadly improve the health of patients from other angles as well. Thus, your interviewer will want to know is that you’ve grown to understand the different ways that people practice the profession, both directly in patient care and around it.

The second component is focused on you. Given what you’ve understood about doctoring, what draws you into the role? You should consider both your breadth of experiences within medicine as well as outside of it. For instance, is there a particular population you care deeply about, since you have already dedicated your time to working with this community and hope to continue to serve them from a standpoint of a physician in the future? Is there a particular element that complements being a physician, like having an anthropology background that has attuned you to observation and connecting deeply with others, or having a passion in basic science research that you hope to continue pursuing in order to better understand the underpinnings of disease?

2. The delivery

One approach to effectively delivering these messages is to address both elements, verbalizing what you’ve seen physicians you’ve worked with accomplishing that speaks to your own passions, both within the walls of the hospital and outside of it.

Consider starting clearly: “I was drawn to medicine when/because…” and then reference components that have stuck with you. For example, when I was considering entering medicine, it struck me that this field offered a dedicated space to comfort others in times of vulnerability, not only by providing knowledge or answers, but by simply being a human presence. Using this revelation as my opening helped give the interviewer my perspective on how I thought about a doctor’s role.

Afterwards, bring up your own specific experiences. Choose one or two that speak to your understanding of medicine and what kind of doctor you hope to be. Talk about your social justice work, and how you saw physicians advocating and the areas you hope to change in the future. Share about your background in and passion for in data science, and how you’ve worked with physician-scientists who combine their knowledge of disease and expertise in big data to address population-level problems. You can use anecdotes, but remember that you want to be clear and concise with their question always in mind—every sentence should help illustrate why you want a future in medicine.

3. Some statements to be cautious about...

“i wanted to be a doctor because i was sick as a child.”.

Instead, use your own experiences as a reflection for what you appreciated about doctors—whether it their comforting presence, their support to your family, etc. You can reflect on whether this has encouraged you to shadow in or seek opportunities in particular fields, but focus instead on what you learned from them.

“I’ve dreamed of being a doctor since I was 8 years old.”

Instead, focus on the here and now, largely college and post-grad years, and what has recently helped affirm this dream. While it’s special that you’ve been dreaming of being a physician for a long time, you have more maturity of thought now and can add depth to the “why.”

“I wanted to be a doctor because my parents are doctors.”

Instead, hear from them how they think about their own careers as doctors. Reflect on how you may be similar or different, and focus on how you’ve carved your own path.

230+ Free Medicine Interview Questions 2023

If you’re applying for medical school in 2024, you’ll definitely need to practice some mock medicine interview questions. As such, we’ve compiled an organised list of medical school interview questions to help you in your preparation. You can use these in your solo preparation, or with a friend or medicine interview tutor . It’s useful to prepare your answers to common medicine interview questions in advance to ensure you’re well prepared for your medicine MMI or panel interview.

Motivation for Medicine Interview Questions

Why do you want to study medicine?
Why do you want to do medicine and not nursing?
Why do you want to study at this university?
What do you know about the curriculum at this university?
What will you do if you don’t get a place in medical school this year?
Tell me about yourself.
What do you think is the hardest thing about being a doctor?
Medicine is a very competitive course . As such, can you explain why we should offer you a place?
What specialty do you see yourself pursuing?
How have you prepared yourself for a career in medicine?
What’s your biggest motive for pursuing a career in medicine?
Who is your biggest role model?
What’s a doctor’s role in society?
What do you like about the way the course is structured at this university?
Is it important to do wider reading in order to be a good doctor?
Can you tell us about any wider reading you’ve done in relation to medicine?

medicine interview personal statement questions

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Skills and Qualities Medicine Interview Questions

A list of medicine interview questions focussing on skills and qualities, to be used for medical school interviews in 2023-2024.

What are 3 essential qualities of a doctor?
Discuss a time when you worked well within a team.
Discuss a time when you displayed empathy.
What does empathy mean to you, and why is it important in medicine?
What’s the difference between empathy and sympathy?Which attributes help doctors to take good histories from patients?
Which key attributes help build trust in a doctor-patient relationship?
Discuss a time when you handled a stressful situation.
What is your biggest strength? What is your biggest weakness?
Would you say you are a good communicator?
What makes a good team?
Discuss a time you faced adversity and how you dealt with it.
What would you change about yourself?
Are there any societies you want to join once you start university?
Discuss a time when you demonstrated leadership skills.
Tell me about a time you failed.
How do you manage your time?
Do all doctors have to be leaders, or can they also be followers?
What are your interests outside of medicine?
How do hobbies play an important role in your life?
Tell me about a time you showed resilience.
What’s something you’re working on improving about yourself?
Why is emotional intelligence important for doctors?
What’s an achievement you’re proud of?
What’s something that’s unique about you?
What are essential qualities needed for breaking bad news to a patient?
Would you say you’re an organised person? How is organisation relevant to a career in medicine?
Give an example of a time you realised you made a mistake and how you handled it.
What advice would you give to someone newly put into a position of responsibility?
Why is it important to recognise your mistakes?
How should a doctor handle a patient who is shouting at them?
Tell me about a time you were under significant pressure and managed to handle this.
How do you handle conflict?
Can you describe a time in your life when taking initiative helped you to achieve your goals?
How would you handle having to work closely with someone you don’t get along with?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
Can you be a good doctor without getting high GCSE and A level grades?
One of your colleagues on placement seems to be taking all of the learning opportunities. How would you handle this situation?
What are three of your best qualities?
You have a group project due in one week, and the other 3 group members have not yet started on any of the work. How would you handle this?
What’s the best way to prevent burnout?

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NHS Hot Topics Interview Questions

A list of medicine interview questions focussing on NHS hot topics in 2023.

Should vaccination be mandatory in the UK?
What do you know about upcoming changes to medical schools and qualifying as a doctor in the UK?
What do you think about privatising the NHS?
What do you think about the changes surrounding organ donation laws?
What changes will Brexit impose on the NHS?
Should abortion be illegal in the UK?
Should cadavers be banned from use in medical school education?
What do you know about antibiotic resistance?
What do you know about evidence-based medicine?
What do you know about the Medical Licensing Assessment?
Do you think the NHS will survive?
What do you know about the 7-Day NHS?
What do you know about inequalities within the NHS, with regards to patients and staff?
How does an ageing population impact the NHS?
Tell me about recent medical news you’ve read.
Tell me about a recent discovery in medicine that you’ve read about.
How would you help the NHS save money?
What are current challenges GPs are facing in primary care?
What do you know about regulations surrounding aesthetic medicine?
What do you know about the postcode lottery?
Is it safe for doctors to strike? What are your thoughts on this?
What important changes do you think need to be made in the NHS to ensure its survival?
What do you know about the ongoing junior doctor strikes?
Is it ethical for consultants and junior doctors to have joint strikes?
How do you think Lucy Letby was able to commit the crimes that she did?
Is there a role for artificial intelligence in medicine?
What can be done to reduce antibiotic resistance in the UK?
What are your thoughts on anti-vaxxers?
If you were the health secretary, how would you handle the NHS budget?
What is the biggest issue that the NHS is currently facing?
Is it important for doctors to know the sex of a patient?
Should prescriptions be free for certain groups?
In your opinion, what’s the biggest medical development in the last century?
What are three problems the NHS is facing right now?
Should non-essential treatments be funded by the NHS? How would you define which treatments are essential?
Should emergency care be free for non-British patients visiting the UK?
What are the core values of the NHS, and are these still being upheld today?
Which parts of the NHS could do with increased funding?
How can we increase funding for the NHS?
What are current limitations of general practice?
What is health equity and how does this come into play?
How can we improve job retention in the NHS?
What do you know about the recruitment of overseas doctors to work in the NHS?
What do you think about the medicine apprenticeship schemes?
What do you think the future of medicine looks like?
How should we deal with the shortage of beds in hospitals?
How has general practice changed in the last 10 years?
What problems do you think will exist in the NHS in 10 years’ time?
Why are antibiotics only available as prescription medicine? What do you think of countries that sell antibiotics over the counter?

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Medical ethics interview questions.

A list of medicine interview questions focussing on medical ethics, to be used for medical school interviews in 2023-2024.

You’re a medical student on the bus home and you overhear two other medical students loudly discussing a patient. What would you do?
Tell me about a case you’ve read about with ethical implications.
Should doctors have permission to accept gifts from patients?
Should doctors have permission to treat family members? What are the ethical implications of this?
What is the difference between consent and confidentiality?
Doctors can sometimes feel desensitised to death. What do you think about this?
Are doctors allowed to prescribe medicine for themselves?
Why do doctors need to be tested for HIV prior to starting work?
Is it okay to talk about a patient case on social media?
Should medical students help with junior doctor jobs on wards?
What are your thoughts on ‘self-inflicted’ illnesses and their treatment in the NHS?
Should pregnant women be offered screening tests for genetic conditions during pregnancy?
Is it ethical to know the sex of a baby before it’s born?
You’re a medical student on the wards and you see a patient crawling to the bathroom. What would you do?
You’re a medical student on placement. You see a patient who requests an abortion, and the doctor refuses due to his personal beliefs. What are your thoughts on this?
You’re a doctor working in a GP practice. A 14-year-old patient attends alone asking for contraception. What would you do?
A patient in the emergency department is demanding to be seen immediately for their foot pain. What are the important considerations?
If a doctor comes across a collapsed patient in public, should they respond to them?
You’re a medical student on placement and one of the doctors smells like alcohol. What would you do?
You’re a medical student on placement and you witness the doctor shouting at her nursing colleague. What would you do?
You’re a new junior doctor and accidentally prescribed the wrong dose of a medication. It was a small error and likely made no difference to the patient, who seems fine many hours after the dose. How would you handle this situation?
Should UK doctors be allowed to volunteer abroad? How should this be regulated and what are ethical implications of short-term work in foreign nations?
You’re a junior doctor working a very busy shift. One of your colleagues tells you that he’s heading home a couple of hours early as he needs to attend a birthday party, but not to tell anyone. You know that you’ll be short staffed when he leaves. What are the important considerations in this scenario?
You’re a senior medical student on placement. The junior doctor you’ve been assigned to shadow has explained that she doesn’t have much time to teach you because of short staffing. She’s asked you to carry out blood tests on all of her patients to help her with her jobs. What are the important considerations in this scenario?
Is it ethical for a doctor to advertise their private services to their NHS patients who would like quicker appointments?
You’re a medical student and a patient you saw on placement has sent you a friend request on social media. How do you handle this, and what are the ethical implications?
Why might a doctor refuse to treat a patient, and is this ever ethical?
Is it ethical for a doctor treating a prisoner to inquire about their crime(s)?
Can doctors go abroad to provide healthcare? How is this monitored?
Is it appropriate for a doctor to start a relationship with a patient they’ve cared for?
Patients often disclose private information to their doctors, especially when relevant to their care. Should a doctor inform anyone if their patient is using illegal drugs?
What do you know about gender inequalities in medicine?
Should a doctor treat a UK visitor who does not legally have access to free healthcare?
Is it important to disclose to a patient’s family members the details of how they died?
How much information should patients receive about their medical condition and treatment options?
Should patients have access to their healthcare records?
Are there any ethical implications of a doctor being in a relationship with their supervisor?
Your friend at medical school has come across confidential past paper questions and is using them to prepare for the upcoming exams. How would you handle this situation?
Your friend was reported for making some inappropriate comments during placement. You were with the friend at the time and know that they made these comments. He wants you to deny this to help him avoid repercussions. How would you handle this?
What are the 4 pillars of medical ethics and what role do they play in patient care?
Can you think of a scenario you’ve encountered in which the pillars of medical ethics were relevant?
What are important things for doctors to remember outside of the work place?
Do doctors have a duty to tend to the injured or sick in public places outside of work?
What qualifications should the leaders of the NHS have?
Is it ethical to offer faster appointments in private practice than in the NHS?
Is it a doctor’s role to notify the partner of an HIV-positive patient?
Is all information a patient provides confidential? What does this mean?
You’re on work experience in A&E and see a young boy with a wrist injury. His mom discloses to you that she thinks he was purposely hurt by bullies in school. How would you respond to this situation?
Some people book very regular GP appointments. Should there be a limit on how many GP appointments a patient is able to take?
When can confidentiality be broken, if ever?
Is it ethical to treat colleagues?
Should smokers receive treatment for respiratory conditions like COPD?
Who should make healthcare decisions about someone in a coma? What are the important factors to consider?
Who should make healthcare decisions about elderly patients? What are the important factors to consider?
Who should make healthcare decisions about psychiatric inpatients? What are the important factors to consider?
Can we discharge a patient who does not have a home to go back to? What are the important factors to consider?
What should a doctor do if they suspect their patient may be selling pain medication that they’re ordering on prescription?
Should patients be able to choose the doctor that treats them?

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Work Experience and Medicine Knowledge Interview Questions

A list of medicine interview questions focussing on work experience and knowledge of medicine.

Tell me about your medicine work experience .
What was an important case you saw during work experience?
Can you think of an ethical dilemma you encountered during your work experience?
Do you think virtual medicine work experience is enough when applying to medical school? Please explain your reasoning.
From your work experience, what did you notice about roles of different healthcare professionals in patient care?
Did you see anything in your work experience that you would have done differently had you been the doctor? Why?
How did you manage to obtain your work experience?
Is there any additional work experience you wish you could have done?
From your work experience, what would you say the most crucial skill is for doctors to have?
Did you encounter any difficult patients in your work experience?
What would you say the main differences you noticed were between primary and secondary or tertiary care?
Was there anything that really impressed you about a doctor during your work experience?
Why do some universities reject overseas work experience?
Why is it important to gain work experience before applying to medical school?
If you were in charge of deciding who gets a kidney transplant between a list of patients, what factors would you consider?
How did you take initiative during your work experience?
What was the most important thing you learned during your work experience?
What did you gain from your work experience?
What social factors are important to consider before discharging a patient?
How does an emergency department ensure the most urgent cases are seen first?
Many people complain of struggles to get GP appointments. What are other ways people can see a doctor?
Do you think it’s common for doctors to have to go to court? Why or why not?
Do you think people can learn medicine from medical television shows?
What are the pros and cons of medical television shows?
What are the pros and cons of having medical information readily available on the internet?
If there could be one change to our healthcare system that has the greatest impact on the health of the population, what would it be?

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Covid-19 interview questions.

How has COVID-19 impacted the NHS?
Do you think the UK’s approach to handling the pandemic was successful?
Do you think lockdown was an effective measure for reducing transmission rates of COVID-19?
How has the pandemic affected you?
Would you take the COVID-19 vaccine, and why?
Is it ethical to enforce mask-wearing?
Should we still be wearing masks in public places with reduced social distancing or in hospitals?
How could we have increased uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine?
Why did some people not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine?
Is it ethical to charge for COVID-19 tests in order to travel?
Is it ethical to need a ‘travel passport’, i.e. proof of vaccination?
Why were some countries better at handling the pandemic than others?
Many women gave birth alone during the pandemic. Was it ethical to put restrictions on bringing in birthing partners?
Many lives were lost during the pandemic, with family only visiting their relatives via phone or video calls. Was it ethical to ban visiting dying patients?
What was the impact of the pandemic on doctors working during this time?
Who was most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?
Do you think the UK would be prepared to handle another pandemic?
How did social factors play a part in the impact of the pandemic on different groups of people?
Are certain groups of people more or less likely to take up the COVID-19 vaccine?
What were the impacts of COVID-19 on medical education?
What was the most important lesson you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic?
How did COVID-19 impact your decision to pursue medicine?
Did some people benefit from the pandemic? Please explain.
How did the pandemic impact the public’s perception of the medical profession?
What was the best decision that the UK government made in its handling of the pandemic?
What was the worst decision that was made in the UK’s handling of the pandemic?

Roleplay and Breaking Bad News Medicine Interview Scenarios and Questions

Your friend has asked you to help him tie his shoelaces, as he has never done so before. Without the use of any actions, please explain to him how to tie his shoelaces.
Please tell a patient that his X-ray results have come back and his ankle has sustained a fracture.
Your friend is ill and asked you to sign their name on the class register today. Please talk to this friend.
You’re a medical student and have an important presentation in 15 minutes. As you’re about to leave, your flatmate tells you that she’s upset due to a bereavement. Please talk to your flatmate.
You’re a medical student on placement and a patient has asked to speak to you about the poor treatment of her family member who visited. She is distraught that the family member was not able to stay outside of visiting hours and was not offered a hospital dinner. Please speak to this patient about her concerns.
You’re a junior doctor working in general practice. You’ve been asked to contact patients with high BMIs about lifestyle and weight loss advice. One particular patient is 56, has a sedentary lifestyle, mainly eats takeaways due to long working hours, and has a BMI of 41. Please speak to this patient about weight management.

Abstract Medicine Interview Questions

Please describe this image to the interviewer without showing it to them.
If you could meet one individual from history, who would it be and why?
If you had the chance to direct a play, what would it be about?
If you had to pack for a 10-day camping trip without access to any of the outside world, what 20 items would be essential for you to take?
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J Grad Med Educ
v.14(2); 2022 Apr

Making the Personal Statement “Truly Personal”: Recommendations From a Qualitative Case Study of Internal Medicine Program and Associate Program Directors

Marie moulton.

All authors are with the University of Utah School of Medicine

Marie Moulton, MD, is Internal Medicine Chief Medical Resident, Department of Internal Medicine

Katie Lappé

Katie Lappé, MD, is Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Sonja E Raaum

Sonja E. Raaum, MD, is Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Caroline K. Milne

Caroline K. Milne, MD, is Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Candace J. Chow

Candace J. Chow, PhD, MA, is Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, and Director of Education Research

Associated Data

The personal statement is an integral part of a residency application but little guidance exists for medical students about what content to include.

We use the framework of isomorphism, the process by which institutions model themselves after one another, to understand what internal medicine program directors (PDs) and associate program directors (APDs) recommend be included in the personal statement and how programs use personal statements in their selection of applicants to interview and rank.

Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted between August and October 2020 with 13 academic PDs and APDs, who were selected for participation based on program size and geographic location. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using content analysis.

Effective personal statements should be well-written, present unique information, and demonstrate fit with a residency program. PDs and APDs recommended against expressing lack of interest in a program or highlighting negative personal characteristics. PDs and APDs used personal statements to distinguish between applicants and noted that personal statements help programs form an impression of the applicant. Consensus among PDs and APDs about what personal statements should include and how they are used indicates that isomorphism influences the match process.

Conclusions

Our study found that the personal statement is a valued part of the residency application when it includes unique attributes and reveals personal values that align with that of the program. Additionally, PDs and APDs noted that when applicants highlight their unique characteristics, it can help distinguish themselves from others.

Introduction

The personal statement is an integral component of a residency application and acts as a narrative that highlights the distinctiveness and character of an applicant. The intention of the narrative is to reveal the professional identity and humanity of an applicant, and can be the most unique element of the residency application. 1 , 2 Given the paucity of guidance on what to include in the personal statement, it is not surprising that the majority of medical students report anxiety surrounding crafting a personal statement. 3

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) provides general guidance regarding the content of the personal statement, including that it should communicate fervor for the medical specialty, address setbacks in training, and serve as a basis for interview questions. 4 A study of pulmonary and critical care fellowship applications suggested that valuable components for the personal statement are career goals, information not found elsewhere in the application, and inspirational experiences. 5 Additionally, a review article noted that personal statements should include unique characteristics, information regarding future career and program choice as well as an explanation of any gaps or negative events. 6 Finally, a study of personal statements in anesthesiology residency applications identified that personal statements should include the proper use of English, while other factors, including career goals, originality, and decision for pursuing anesthesiology, are less important. 5 , 7 Together, this literature provides some guidance for applicants, but is less than ideal in providing prescriptive goals, particularly as they relate to how statements should be tailored based on one's specialty.

Residency programs are increasingly aiming to perform a holistic review of applicants during the selection process. 8 - 10 The AAMC defines holistic review as “mission-aligned admissions or selection processes that take into consideration applicants' experiences, attributes, and academic metrics as well as the value an applicant would contribute to learning, practice, and teaching.” 8 Since the personal statement is a component of the residency application that can be truly individual, and also the only part of the application that communicates to the program director (PD) directly, it seems it could be an integral part of holistic review. 11 , 12 Despite this, the 2021 National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) PD survey shows that internal medicine, as well as other large specialties such as general surgery, anesthesiology, and emergency medicine, rely heavily on United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 scores as well as the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) when selecting applicants to interview and rank. 13 As USMLE Step 1 moves to pass/fail and several academic institutions transition to a pass/fail grading system, residency programs will need to rely more on other components of the application, including the personal statement.

Conceptual Framework

Isomorphism refers to the process by which organizations, such as residency programs, model themselves after one another. 14 It's a useful framework for understanding how residency programs, which outwardly aim to distinguish themselves from peer institutions, are quite like each other in their aims and selection processes. As DiMaggio and Powell explain, isomorphism occurs through 3 mechanisms: coercive, mimetic, and normative. 14 Coercive isomorphism occurs when external pressures and “cultural expectations” are exerted on organizations to be a certain way or to engage in or adopt certain values. 14 When ambiguity and uncertainty arise, organizations engage in mimetic isomorphism and look to other organizations for direction on how to behave to legitimize their own processes. Finally, normative isomorphism “stem[s] from the conformity resulting from professionalization.” 15 Lipson, 15 Warikoo, 16 and Price-Johnson 17 use isomorphism to explain why universities, particularly elite ones, have converging policies around admissions as it relates to diversity. Isomorphism illuminates why residency PDs have been keen to incorporate holistic review and personal statements into their admissions process: there are external pressures to build racially diverse classes (coercive isomorphism), the ambiguity around how to consider diversity has spurred programs to imitate their peers (mimetic isomorphism), and the field of medicine is highly concerned with training physicians who adhere to certain standards of professionalism (normative isomorphism). Thus, isomorphism helps us understand why personal statements remain an important part of the application process. Isomorphism may also shed light on how statements are used.

This exploratory study aims to clarify the weight that PDs and associate program directors (APDs) give to personal statements when selecting applicants to interview and rank as well as establish the components that PDs and APDs are looking for when reviewing this part of the application. Gaining a better understanding of how internal medicine PDs and APDs use personal statements, and how this is affected by isomorphism, may provide insightful guidance for residency applicants writing personal statements.

Recruitment and Sampling

We conducted a qualitative case study utilizing semi-structured phone interviews with PDs and APDs from across the United States. Our PD, who works with PDs and APDs across the nation through the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine network, identified individuals to interview based on their program's location and characteristics. We purposively sampled institutions to include academic residency programs with diverse geographic locations and sizes. An invitation to participate was sent to PDs and APDs in August 2020. Interviews were conducted between August and October 2020 with PDs and APDs from residency programs representing all 4 AAMC regions: Western (n=3), Central (n=2), Northeast (n=3), and Southern (n=5). Participation was voluntary and informed consent was obtained. Participants did not receive any compensation.

Phone Interview Format and Questions

All semi-structured phone interviews were conducted by an internal medicine resident investigator (M.M.). Phone interview questions were developed by expert opinion of the PD, 2 APDs, and an education PhD with expertise in qualitative design. Questions focused on what content should be included in a personal statement and how PDs and APDs use personal statements in their selection of applicants to interview and rank. In addition to seeing what PDs and APDs said, we were interested in the extent to which their answers converged, because convergence would indicate isomorphism at work. The complete protocol is available as online supplementary data. The investigator with an education PhD (C.J.C.) trained the resident investigator (M.M.) in how to conduct a semi-structured phone interview. 18

After the initial 4 interviews were completed, 3 authors (M.M., C.J.C., K.L.) met to review the interview questions and interview transcripts. It was noted at this time that the PDs and APDs who were initially interviewed made frequent comments about the “fit” of an applicant, however, did not specify what fit meant. Thinking this was an opportunity to further explore the role of isomorphism in the residency selection process, the resident investigator (M.M.) made a point to ask a more probing question regarding fit in the following 9 interviews if the PDs or APDs being interviewed used that term.

Data Collection and Analysis

We audio-recorded interview data using the Rev Call Recorder phone application (Rev.com Inc, San Francisco, CA), which was then transcribed by the same service. We used Dedoose Version 7.0.23 to engage in content analysis of the data. 19 , 20 Three authors (M.M., K.L., C.J.C.) independently and inductively coded 4 transcripts, compared results, and came to consensus on initial codes and categories in order to develop a codebook. Two authors (M.M., C.J.C.) then used the codebook to independently code all 13 transcripts so that each transcript was coded twice, with the understanding that new codes could be added to the codebook and that coding would take place until thematic saturation was achieved. 18 Following individual coding, they met to discuss any new codes that they had created, how to further refine codes and categories by collapsing and reorganizing codes, and to resolve any discrepancies in coding. After making additional revisions to the codebook based on these discussions, one author (C.J.C.) reviewed transcripts a final time to ensure that data were thoroughly described by the codes in the final codebook. 18

Reflexivity and Trustworthiness

Our researcher positionalities are relevant to the study because they influence the perspectives we bring to our work. Having multiple coders (M.M., an internal medicine resident, and C.J.C., an educational researcher), each of whom has a different relationship with the data and the internal medicine context and culture, was important in exploring multiple interpretations of the data. M.M. and C.J.C. also engaged in peer debriefing with K.L., an APD and clerkship director, to gain an additional perspective. Writing memos also helped us keep an audit trail of our codes and coding process. 21

The Institutional Review Board at the University of Utah School of Medicine deemed this study exempt.

Findings were organized into 4 broad themes: (1) how personal statements are used by PDs and APDs; (2) what personal statements should include; (3) what personal statements should not include; and (4) elements that PDs and APDs disagreed on. In the following paragraphs, we describe each theme and provide exemplary quotes. We use the term participants and PD/APD interchangeably.

How Personal Statements Are Used

Participants reported that personal statements were used during the pre-interview and post-interview processes and to form a gestalt impression of applicants, as shown in Box 1 . Participants identified using the personal statement most often in the pre-interview process to prepare for the interview day. In addition, many participants reported using the personal statement in some way to screen and select applicants for interviews. Following the interview, some participants identified using the statement in the ranking process to distinguish between 2 applicants or to move an applicant from one grouping on the rank list to another. Finally, participants identified using the personal statement to form an overall impression of applicants, as it is an opportunity to gather information not available in other areas of the application and to assess an applicant's fit for a program.

This exploratory study aims to clarify what internal medicine program directors (PDs) and associate program directors (APDs) recommend be included in a personal statement and how they use the personal statement in their decision to interview and rank residency applicants.

Internal medicine PDs and APDs recommend that personal statements be well-written, present unique information about the applicant, and demonstrate fit with a residency program.

Limitations

This study is a sampling of academic PDs and APDs from a single specialty, and while participants were queried about their use and recommendations for a personal statement, they may use personal statements in a way not represented by this data.

Bottom Line

PDs and APDs value personal statements that highlight unique characteristics, including personal attributes and demonstration of how their values align with that of the program, which allow applicants to distinguish themselves.

What Personal Statements Should Include

Participants reported that statements should be well-written, include information that makes an applicant stand out, and include data that shows how the applicant's interests match those of the program, as shown in Box 2 . They noted that statements should be easily readable and interesting. In addition, several participants stressed the importance of the personal statement in highlighting an applicant's unique characteristics and experiences. Finally, many participants commented that applicants should use the personal statement as an opportunity to convey their fit for a program.

Box 1 Representative Comments of How Personal Statements Are Used by Program Directors and Associate Program Directors in the Application Process

Pre-interview process.

Statements can:

▪ Help prepare for the interview day, “I do use it as help in terms of the questions that I want to ask during the interview.”
▪ Provide reasons to be invited for an interview, “Sometimes if they [applicants] are borderline…[and] I'm looking for reasons to invite them.”
▪ Screen out applicants with red flags, “in the first round…it can only hurt you…it's more of a ‘please do no harm to yourself area.'”

Post-Interview Process

▪ Be used in ranking applicants, “…the big middle chunk of our rank list, where it does matter more…sometimes we'll use the personal statement to decide whether they're in this cluster or this cluster kind of thing.”
▪ Distinguish between 2 applicants, “it's one of the components for which people can move up or down. If 2 applicants were completely equal…and one had a really great statement…then we would rank that person higher.”

To Form Gestalt Impressions

▪ Be used to gather information not available otherwise, “I want to know if there are any items that I couldn't discern from the rest of the ERAS application, such as disadvantaged background or a big life event that impacted them in a way.”
▪ Be used to assess “fit for the program,” “add to [their] holistic review of the individual.”

What Personal Statements Should Not Include

According to PDs and APDs, personal statements that are poorly written, indicate a lack of or superficial interest in the program, and demonstrate an applicant's poor character reflect negatively on the applicant, as shown in Box 3 . Participants reported many things about the statement that would make for a poor impression, including the length, poor grammar, generic format, and cliché analogies. In addition, participants noted that personal statements that fail to convey interest in the program, such as when statements convey interest in another specialty if an applicant is dual applying or mention a program's name as a way to “name drop,” are viewed poorly. Finally, participants reported that personal statements that revealed an applicant's character flaws gave them “pause in wanting to interview an applicant.” These include statements that demonstrate a lack of professionalism or include elitist statements or overconfidence in one's achievements.

Box 2 Representative Comments of Content to Include in the Personal Statement

Personal statements should:, be well-written.

▪ “Reasonably well-written.”
▪ “Should start out with some kind of hook…you want to grab the reader.”
▪ “Really captivating instead of this monologue.”

Help the Applicant Stand Out

▪ “Looking for authenticity.”
▪ Convey “true character” such that the program director “can't wait to meet them.”
▪ Provide “insight into [an] individual as a unique person” and “items that describe distance traveled…first person in their family to go to college…someone that worked a job throughout medical school…some that [meets] the underprivileged background as established by HRSA.”
▪ “If…there's something in an application that could sink an applicant…add a sentence or 2 in their statement, because it's their one chance to provide a narrative.”

Demonstrate Fit for the Program

▪ Explain “a clear elucidation of their goals…that fit with the vision of our…program.”
▪ “I'm looking for evidence that they have a commitment to primary care.”
▪ “For our research track, we look to see if they've identified specific areas…it helps us figure out whether or not we can offer those things to them.”
▪ Applicants should name “particular patient population that [they're] going to work with.”
▪ Should say if they “have a specific reason to come to either the program or to the geographic location” such as if an applicant's “significant other is on faculty at [nearby institution].”

Elements That PDs and APDs Disagreed On

There were 3 topics that participants did not agree on, including future plans, a patient story, and explanation of interest in internal medicine, as shown in Box 4 . Some PDs and APDs felt including information about future plans was important while others thought providing career goals was unnecessary. In addition, there were differing opinions about whether or not a patient story should be included, although most identified that if students were going to include a story, it should capture something personal about them (eg, how the interaction affected their decision to pursue internal medicine or made them feel differently about patients). Finally, while some participants wanted to hear about an applicant's interest in internal medicine, others found this to be less useful.

Box 3 Representative Comments of Content Not to Include in the Personal Statement

Personal statements should not:, be poorly written.

▪ Should “not exceed a page,” nor should they be “super short.”
▪ “Evidence of carelessness.”
▪ Make programs “wonder what else will be sloppy about [the applicant's] work.”
▪ “Content-wise worst, probably are the ones that don't give me a sense of who the person is, that almost feel as if they're a little too vanilla.”
▪ Avoid cliché analogies, “‘oh, it's like solving a puzzle,' just some lines that you…read over and over again.”

Indicate a Lack of Interest in a Program

▪ “I feel bad for these students but where they're clearly applying to more than one specialty, and they send us the wrong personal statement.”
▪ “Sometimes you can see this copy paste where they say, ‘and they want to go [here] because they love the [geography] and blah, blah, blah'…that feels disingenuous to me.”

Display Poor Characteristics

▪ “Remark[ed] on negative role modeling and how they don't want to be like this negative experience” or “talking badly about others.”
▪ “Sexist, or racist, or appear to have a bias.”
▪ “Self-aggrandizing” or convey “a sense of arrogance or overconfidence in one's achievements.”

Box 4 Representative Comments of Disagreed on Elements of the Personal Statement

Future plans.

▪ “I look…to see if people have at least at that point in their career, an idea about their career trajectory, any long-term career goals.”
▪ “I don't think that the personal statements have to say necessarily what someone's career trajectory is, many people don't know…unless they're looking to fast track, I don't think there's anything specific that has to be there.”

Patient Story

▪ “I always enjoy a patient story, just because they're going to be doing a medical career, so I want to make sure that they're connected to patients.”
▪ “I think overreliance on a patient story to tell a message that may not be very unique.”

Interest in Internal Medicine

▪ “Something that references why you're choosing this specialty” because “there's nowhere else, really, in the application… [that addresses this interest].”
▪ “I often just skip over those short paragraphs, or the short statements about why I'm interested in internal medicine, or how I fell in love with internal medicine. I find those less helpful, because you're applying to internal medicine, of course you want to do internal medicine.”

To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore academic internal medicine PDs and APDs recommendations for personal statement content. PDs and APDs used personal statements to distinguish between applicants with otherwise equivalent applications and help form an impression of the applicant. We identified 3 themes that participants thought were important for an effective personal statement—that it be well-written, include personal or unique information to make the applicant stand out, and demonstrate fit with a residency program. Participants also recommended avoiding poorly written or excessively long statements, inappropriately signaling interest in another program, or highlighting negative characteristics. Elements where there was a conflicting opinion—patient stories, future plans, and interest in internal medicine—hint at potential common pitfalls of the personal statement.

In our study, PDs and APDs identified that personal statements should highlight unique personal characteristics of the applicant. While applicants invest significant time and effort into personal statements, prior literature suggests personal statements often lack originality and uniqueness in favor of a more formulaic structure. 7 Perhaps a lack of originality stems from little guidance from residency programs to date stating what is important to include in the personal statement. It is also possible that applicants are unknowingly influenced by mimetic isomorphism. In wanting to write a statement that will be deemed acceptable, all applicants are using the only available guidelines, which means that statements end up being like each other. With an overall lack of specialty-specific guidance, applicants rely on general guidelines from the AAMC and expert opinion. 4 , 6 Future work should focus on creating specialty-specific guidelines for the content and structure of the personal statement to improve its utility in the residency application.

Several PDs and APDs reported using the personal statement to gauge applicants' fit for their residency program. We found that most commonly, participants referred to how an applicant's individual attributes, interests, and goals aligned with that of the residency program. This use suggests that the PD and APD definition of fit may be contributing to the holistic review of the applicant and supports the idea that isomorphism plays a role in residency application review. Holistic review relies on assessing an applicant's unique experiences with the intent to recruit a diverse group of residents (coercive isomorphism). For example, the implementation of holistic review in an emergency medicine screening application process, which placed more emphasis on applicants' attributes, resulted in increased recruitment of underrepresented in medicine applicants. 22 In contrast, fit often hinges on recruiting applicants who possess similar characteristics to the program (normative isomorphism). This practice may be helpful in some situations (eg, applicant demonstrates a personality that aligns with the institution's culture), but it also can promote unconscious bias and threaten diversity. 23

Humans all possess unconscious biases that may negatively influence our view of interviewees who are dissimilar to us. A gestalt impression may result in only selecting applicants for interviews or ranking who appear similar to the interviewer (eg, race, sexual orientation). Further, at a program level, evaluation of an applicant by gestalt impression with a focus on fit may promote “cultural homogeneity” 23 and normative isomorphism where the eventual matched residents reinforce areas that their institutions have historically valued. To address homogeneity and unconscious bias, residency programs could employ the principles of personnel psychology to align fit with a more holistic review of applicants. 24 Within personnel psychology, fit is expanded to include person-job fit (ie, knowledge, skills), person-workgroup fit (ie, interpersonal attributes, group performance), and person-organization fit (ie, values, goals). 25 Person-job fit may include an applicant's cognitive ability as measured by standardized examination and clinical performance. Person-workgroup fit may include tests of integrity (eg, personality assessments, situational judgement tests) during the interview process. Finally, person-organization fit may include assessing if a resident's values align with that of the institution. As hinted at by the participants in our study, personal statements may be an important element to assess person-organization fit addressing personal values and goals.

Residency programs may improve assessment of this domain by identifying their core values, placing them within an overall brand, and sharing transparently with applicants so they can be addressed by the applicant. The addition of the supplemental Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application for internal medicine, general surgery, and dermatology could provide a structured way for applicants to reference signal programs that have similar values and to highlight their most meaningful past experiences that demonstrate their values. It is possible that as the supplemental ERAS application is more widely used across specialties, the guidance provided to applicants regarding content to include in the personal statement may evolve. Future work should focus on how residency programs may be able to utilize the personal statement and supplemental ERAS application to assess person-organization fit.

There were conflicting opinions about the inclusion of career goals, use of a patient story, and explanation of the decision to pursue internal medicine. Career goals and patient stories are common themes of internal medicine personal statements. 1 , 2 Interestingly, the conflict highlighted in our interviews hints at how to personalize content. PDs and APDs seemed to support the inclusion of these topics when they were used to emphasize a personal quality of the applicant (eg, use of a patient story to explain “how it made them think differently about patients, or feel, or learn something”). Comparably, pulmonary and critical care fellowship PDs found that quotes and stories without explanation of impact on the applicant were viewed negatively in review of applications. 5 While themes of the personal statement may vary, the overarching recommendation for the personal statement is that it is personal and, ideally, sparks the program's interest to meet and learn more about the applicant.

Finally, we found that internal medicine PDs and APDs most often use the personal statement in preparation for the interview, which is similar to findings from other specialties. 7 In addition, programs identified using the personal statement in the pre-interview and post-interview processes to either extend an interview invite or move an applicant up or down the rank list if the applicant was otherwise equivalent to another applicant on the list. In the 2021 NRMP PD survey, 73% of internal medicine PDs reported using the personal statement in selecting applicants to interview with a mean importance of 3.6, which is well below that of USMLE Step scores, MSPE, clerkship performance, and class ranking. 12 The survey results are similar for other large specialties including general surgery, anesthesiology, and emergency medicine. 13 This is likely due to the poor interrater reliability of personal statements, 26 which likely precludes their use in the decision to interview and rank applicants the majority of the time. 12 Yet, the PDs and APDs in our study converged on many criteria—how they used the personal statement to what they wanted to see to what they did not want to see in a personal statement—indicating that residency programs are more similar to each other than they think, which suggests that mimetic and normative isomorphism are at work. Additional research with PDs and APDs in other specialties about the use of personal statements could further shed light on the role of isomorphism in the residency review and selection process.

The main limitation of our exploratory study is the focus on sampling academic PDs and APDs in a single specialty. While participants were questioned about their use and recommendations for personal statements, some internal medicine programs may use personal statements in ways not represented by this data. Given the sample program characteristics, recommendations from this group may be less applicable to applicants applying to community-based programs, to smaller programs (<30 residents per year), and to other specialties. However, the sample covers all geographic regions as defined by the AAMC and represents residency programs with intern class sizes ranging from 33 to 64. Additionally, as with all qualitative work, our identities and experience influence our interpretations of the data. We have done our best to ensure trustworthiness by including multiple coders who bring differing perspectives to ensure multiple interpretations of the data, engagment in peer debriefing, and keeping a written audit trail.

Our study found that the personal statement can be a valuable part of the internal medicine residency application when it includes unique attributes, is well-written, and demonstrates a fit with program values. Additionally, PDs and APDs noted that when applicants highlight their unique characteristics, it can help distinguish themselves from otherwise equal applicants.

Supplementary Material

Funding: The authors report no external funding source for this study.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare they have no competing interests.

UCAS Guide >
Personal Statement >

Personal Statement: Introduction

Starting your personal statement off is often one of the hardest parts of writing your personal statement. You may have already got the body of your text written, but it’s that tricky opener that many students struggle with. That’s why we have listed our top tips below:

1. Why are you interested in medicine?

It is important to start with what has drawn you to medicine or science. After all, that is the main focus of your whole personal statement.

2. Focus on why medicine as a degree or profession?

Think about why you want to do medicine. Not what interests you, but why do you want to do it? Is it the rewarding career? Is it the academic challenge? It is important not to focus on your skills or activities at this point, as that comes into the main body of your personal statement.

3. Writing Style

This has to be captivating and engaging. Remember you want to grip the reader immediately. Think of the admissions staff reading your personal statement, they have probably at this point read hundreds, so you need to make it interesting and engaging to keep their attention and separate yours from every other applicants.

4. Give examples

If it was science for example that sparked your interest in medicine give an example of what it was. Such as: “From an early age I have been fascinated by the workings of life. The human body is a remarkable machine with many diverse systems producing an organism that could never be artificially reproduced”. This is much more insightful that just saying “I have always been interested in the workings of the human body”.

Frequently Asked Question

→what is a personal statement introduction.

A personal statement introduction is the opening paragraph of your personal statement. It is an opportunity to grab the reader’s attention, provide context for your application, and set the tone for the rest of your statement.

→What should I include in my personal statement introduction?

In your personal statement introduction, you should introduce yourself and provide some background information about your academic and professional experiences. You may also want to discuss your motivation for pursuing your chosen field of study and highlight any relevant achievements or accomplishments.

→What are some tips for writing a strong personal statement introduction?

To write a strong personal statement introduction, you should focus on capturing the reader’s attention and providing a clear and compelling introduction to your application. You should also be sure to tailor your introduction to the specific program or institution you are applying to, and avoid using clichés or generic statements.

→Can I use a quote or anecdote in my personal statement introduction?

Yes, using a quote or anecdote can be a great way to grab the reader’s attention and add some personality to your personal statement. However, it is important to ensure that any quote or anecdote is relevant to your application and helps to support your overall message.

→How important is the personal statement introduction?

The personal statement introduction is an important part of your personal statement and can significantly impact the reader’s impression of you as an applicant. A strong introduction can grab the reader’s attention and set the tone for a compelling and well-crafted personal statement.

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Still got a question leave a comment, leave a comment, cancel reply.

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UCL Medicine Interview Questions

Past interview questions & tips, select section, ucl medicine interview format, historical interview information.

Throughout 2020-2022 used an online format. UCL used to employ a traditional interview format which took approximately 15 minutes with two sections, the first on the personal statement and the second on the BMAT essay. The interview panel was made up of three people; in most cases an academic, a clinician (usually a general practitioner or hospital doctor) and a non-clinical or lay-person (sometimes a current student). During the interview, two of these individuals asked questions, while the third observed and wrote notes. All three interviewers provided a score, contributing to the outcome. From this we might assume that their current MMIs are likely to draw on a range of different assessors.

UCL Medicine Key Application & Interview Statistics

Overall success rate (total applicants : total spaces), percentage of candidates interviewed, interviewee success rate, before the interview.

After your BMAT exam, write down a summary of the main points from your essay. You will be asked about these in your interview.
Know what you’re being assessed on. UCL has a set mark scheme in which they evaluate and score all interviewees. In order to be assessed on the mentioned criteria (eg. Teamwork), it is likely that that you will be asked a question related to each of the domains.
Be able to articulate why you want to study at UCL. This is often one of the first questions asked. Ensure your answer extends beyond “I want to study medicine” or “because I want to help people”. It must set you apart from the other candidates and should mention features which are unique to UCL. These features could be the integrated teaching style that the university adopts or the benefits of being able to complete modules at certain teaching hospitals such as Royal Free. The variety of student-selected components (SSCs) which UCL offers (e.g. languages and specialities) or the opportunity to complete an intercalated BSc and develop skills outside of medicine are also worth mentioning. With these aspects, you should be aware of the options available in these courses and have something in mind that you would like to pursue.
Expect the unexpected; eg. ‘Can you tell me about the history of UCL?’ – this is a recent favourite amongst UCL interviewers.
Have a basic understanding of the future challenges facing the NHS, e.g. ageing population/the role of primary care and expect to be asked about these issues.
Regularly read and re-read your personal statement so that you know it thoroughly. Consider areas on which the interviewers could ask you to elaborate.
Read the NHS Constitution, the General Medical Council’s publication Good Medical Practice and be aware of the core values of the NHS.
On the day of the interview, you will be provided with a copy of your BMAT essay – annotate it carefully, line by line, as you will be asked to justify and reflect on it, during the interview.

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UCL Medicine Past MMI Stations & Interview Questions

General/Personal Statement Questions: The use of stories/ personal experiences are often a more powerful way of demonstrating character traits, than listing off as many as you can think of. Also, talk about areas in medicine which interest you. Especially those that could be developed at the university as UCL has a strong academic background and broad scope for research. Discuss your relevant work experience, e.g. shadowing doctors, clinical and voluntary work. The interviewers may base their ethical questions on some aspect of the work experience that you have completed. Therefore, careful consideration of your answer is essential as one question will often lead to another based on that same experience. Talk about extra-curricular achievements/interests outside of medicine as this shows a well-rounded individual. Recent questions have included the following:

Why do you want to study medicine?
Tell me what you learned from your work experience
How would you handle the stresses of being a doctor?
What are the most significant aspects of communication?
What did you learn from your work experience/tell me more about it
What did you learn from your voluntary work/tell me more about it
Tell me about your research project

Model answers as well as additional practice questions can be found in the Online Question Bank. Discussing your BMAT Essay: You may be asked to briefly summarise your BMAT essay. Ensure you approach this question wisely as this can dictate the nature of subsequent questions.

Expect questions such as “why did you write that point?”, “what’s the reason you wrote this?”Alternatively, “what would you improve?” You must be able to demonstrate that you can justify and reflect on your decisions.
Avoid criticising your work as this gives the interviewers fuel to discredit you. Instead, focus on additional points that you could mention or develop further.

Science/Medicine Questions : Ensure that you keep up to date with this as you need to be aware of these issues and how they are likely to affect the NHS. Interviewers will rate you on both your verbal and non-verbal skills so; ensure that your answers are expressed coherently and clearly, with confident body language. Recent questions have included the following:

What are the issues surrounding the NHS?
What difficulties and stresses are posed for GPs?
What recent medical news have you recently come across?
If you were made in charge of the NHS budget, where would you allocate your funds?
Recently there has been a rise in the cases of measles. Do you know why?
What sort of diseases mentioned alongside stem cell research?
What body system does cystic fibrosis affect the most?
What method can be used for gene therapy?

Ethical Scenarios : It is common for an ethical scenario to be included in the UCL interview. Ensure that you read the BlackStone Tutors ‘2 Sorts, 2 Sides’ approach to ethical scenarios, in order to manage these questions effectively. Recent ethical scenarios have included the following:

Your patient’s family members request that you do not tell him of his new cancers diagnosis. What actions would you take in this scenario?
If you made a small mistake during an operation, would you tell the patient? You do not believe that your mistake will have any clinical impact on the patient or his recovery.

Spontaneous Questions : Unexpected or abstract questions sometimes come up. For instance, “if you had the opportunity to host a dinner party with three people, who would you invite?” or “what popular science novels or articles have you read recently?” These questions are designed to test your ability to think on the spot and give a well constructed, logical answer.

UCL Medicine Interview Questions and Answers

Why do you want to study medicine at ucl.

Studying Medicine at UCL is particularly appealing to me due to the comprehensive six-year program, which includes an integrated BSc, offering an in-depth understanding of medical and social sciences. UCL’s commitment to cultivating a ‘UCL Doctor’ – competent, scientifically literate, and equipped for patient-centred medicine in a modern world – aligns with my aspirations. The program’s structure, encompassing thematic modules and clinical practice, provides a balanced education, fostering the skills necessary for a successful career in medicine.

What do you know about the Medicine course structure at UCL?

UCL’s Medicine course is structured as a six-year integrated program, comprising thematic modules and clinical and professional practice throughout. The first two years, ‘Fundamentals of Clinical Science,’ focus on systems-based learning and foundational medical sciences. Year 3 involves an integrated BSc, allowing for specialised study. Year 4, ‘Integrated Clinical Care,’ transitions to more intensive clinical practice. The final years, ‘The Life Cycle and Specialist Practice’ and ‘Preparation for Practice,’ focus on applying clinical knowledge across a range of medical fields and preparing for professional practice.

How does UCL's Medicine program integrate patient-centred care in its curriculum?

Patient-centered care is a fundamental aspect of UCL’s Medicine curriculum. The program emphasizes early patient contact and the development of professional skills essential for good patient care. This approach ensures students appreciate the ethical, social, and legal dimensions of medicine from the start. The curriculum is structured to foster an understanding of science in the context of its clinical application, ensuring students develop a patient-centred approach to diagnosis and management, essential for effective healthcare delivery.

What opportunities for research and specialisation does UCL provide in its Medicine program?

UCL offers extensive opportunities for research and specialisation within its Medicine program. The integrated BSc in Year 3 allows students to delve into specific medical topics, fostering familiarity with research literature, scientific methods, and current thinking in various fields. This experience is invaluable for students considering a career in academic medicine or who wish to deepen their understanding of a particular area. Additionally, the MBPhD program, taken between years 4 and 5, is designed for students aiming for a career in academic medicine, further highlighting UCL’s commitment to research.

As a medical student at UCL, you are part of a group project where one member consistently misses deadlines, affecting the group's progress. They acknowledge their struggle with time management but haven't improved.

In this situation, I would first approach the group member privately to understand any underlying issues they may be facing and offer support or resources that could help improve their time management. If the problem persists, I would suggest a group meeting to collectively discuss strategies to assist our teammate, ensuring the conversation remains constructive and focused on finding solutions. If needed, I would consult with a faculty advisor for guidance. This approach fosters teamwork and problem-solving skills, which are crucial in medicine, while also addressing the issue in a supportive, non-confrontational manner.

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Background and Motivation For Medicine Questions

These Medical School interview questions focus on finding out a candidate's background and motivation to study Medicine.

Background & Motivation Questions

Learn how to answer ‘Why Medicine?’ questions
Improve your motivation for Medicine answers
Avoid common interview mistakes

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You should expect your Medical School interview to include questions about your background and motivation to study Medicine. Read on for some example ‘Why Medicine?’ interview questions and tips on how to answer well. Looking for more advice? Check our tips to show your motivation at interview .

The answer guides to these background and motivation questions have been put together by medics who have successfully navigated interviews at top Medical Schools . They’re included in our Mastering the Medical School Interview Guide which you’ll get if you join a Medical School Interview Course . It’s over 220 pages long and has everything you need to ace your interview.

Why Do You Want To Study Medicine?

This is a common background and motivation question, so reflect carefully on the answer prior to your interview. To answer this type of ‘Why Medicine?’ interview question properly, you will need to first understand what exactly being a medical student and a Doctor entails. This comes from research, work experience and talking to people ahead of you on the pathway.

When you answer this question, aim to strike a good balance between passion and pragmatism — many people come across disproportionately one way or the other. You should provide enough detail to be persuasive, but avoid waffling. More than three points are usually too much, and the impact will be lost.

Make sure you get across your desire to interact with – and ultimately help – people, because this is what being a Doctor is all about. Try to capture why the combination of scientific drive and human engagement involved in Medicine appeals to you. Use examples from your work experience and your personal life if appropriate to strengthen your answer.

Common Mistakes:

Knowing you want to be a Doctor but not being able to articulate why. This is usually a result of a lack of reflection.
Referring to financial rewards or social status. These are not good motivators for pursuing Medicine and there are other careers that offer more of both.
Saying that you come from a family of Doctors. This is not a mistake in itself, but you must stress that you have done your own exploration.

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If You Weren’t Offered A Place To Study Medicine, What Would You Do?

It’s a good idea to say that you would reapply to Medical School next year, and perhaps try to get a job or volunteering position in a related area in the meantime, because this shows resilience and commitment to pursuing Medicine.

This is an opportunity to show that you can turn misfortune to your advantage by outlining how you would make the most of the time — to gain more experience in healthcare, for example. You could also suggest looking into other healthcare career options such as Allied Health , because these also involve patient care and that is ultimately what you’re interested in.

Simply saying “I will get in” shows arrogance, rather than strength — and might tempt them to prove you wrong!
Saying straight away that you would do something unrelated suggests a lack of commitment and resolve.

What Aspects Of The Working Life Of A Doctor Appeal To You?

Hopefully, you find it rewarding to help people who need it and to make a difference in people’s lives. Make sure you say so – and don’t be afraid of sounding cheesy! Remember that as a Doctor, you’ll have the chance to make a real difference to people’s lives every day.

Patient care and disease management (alongside the medical research that takes place) are intellectually stimulating, and it is a multi-faceted job that presents you with many exciting challenges. If you enjoy teamwork and problem-solving, this will also be a big draw. You should also consider the diversity of opportunities available to healthcare professionals.

Use work experience and other first-hand experiences to support the things that you say — make the answer personal to you. It’s a good idea to also show that you’re aware of the challenges that Doctors face, and that it can be a stressful job, but that you believe the positives outweigh the negatives.

Focusing on career advancement, respect and remuneration.
Saying that the life of a Doctor is entirely positive and failing to appreciate the challenges involved.

What Aspects Of The Working Life Of A Doctor Don’t Appeal To You?

It’s important to show that you understand, from research and work experience, that being a Doctor comes with a lot of challenges. Without belittling these challenges, you should also keep a positive outlook and demonstrate that you are up for the challenge.

For example, being a Doctor can be very stressful and requires a huge commitment, which might restrict your personal or family life. However, there might also be good ways of finding a work-life balance that works for you.

The death of patients is also an inevitable part of being a Doctor, so show that you recognise this will be a difficult thing to deal with. You could refer to the support available for Doctors experiencing difficulties with this.

Being blindly positive. Positivity is an excellent trait but not at the expense of realism.
Saying that everything appeals to you and you can think of nothing that would be difficult about being a Doctor shows a lack of appreciation for the realities.
Referring too much to NHS cuts and working long hours for relatively small remuneration could make you seem like you have the wrong priorities.

Can Non-Scientific Hobbies Add To A Person’s Ability To Be A Good Doctor, And Why? Can You Think Of Any Examples In Your Own Case?

Medicine isn’t just a scientific career! It is people-based and therefore requires Doctors to be well-rounded people who can relate to others. Non-scientific interests can help Doctors to achieve this and relate to patients who don’t have a deep scientific understanding of their situation.

Some Medical Schools, like Imperial , focus a lot on extracurricular activities as a sign of well-rounded candidates, so you should look into each university’s stance beforehand. If you’re involved in music/sport/art/other, tell them about it and try to articulate why this might make you a stronger candidate.

Extracurricular activities can also demonstrate skills relevant to Medicine. Sportspeople often show teamwork and leadership, for instance. Use extracurricular achievements to signpost Doctor-worthy traits.

For example: “I love playing the guitar and I’ve played in bands in my town for several years. It’s a great way of meeting new people. I would like to continue playing guitar alongside my studies at Medical School, as I feel it would help me relax during stressful times and avoid burnout.”

Focusing too much on extracurricular agendas at the expense of the Medical School. Remember, not everyone shares the same interests as you.
Being dismissive of non-academic pursuits and saying things like “a Doctor’s ability to diagnose illness/scientific knowledge is really the most important thing.”

What Do You Find Interesting About Medicine?

While this question appears to be asking you to talk in detail about scientific topics that you have studied and find interesting, it is really providing you with an opportunity to demonstrate the breadth of your engagement with Medicine.

Structure your answer to avoid being incoherent, or going into too much detail about one particular topic and running out of time.

Start by discussing a particular scientific aspect of Medicine that you have studied or read about and found interesting – e.g. the special structure of the epithelial cells in the myocardium that allows the heart to act as an effective and reliable pump. Then, connect this to any relevant clinical work experience you have had.

For example, did you see any patients with heart conditions or did you see an echocardiogram? What are the real-world manifestations of the Medicine that interest you? If you don’t have any relevant work experience, think about the reading you have done.

You could then move on to the practical side of Medicine. This lets the interviewer know you appreciate that Medicine is a practical science – and often it is less about scientific knowledge and more about soft skills, pattern recognition and logic. You could also combine the practical and scientific topics that you have discussed to talk about research or self-directed learning that you might want to do at Medical School.

Is there an Intercalated Degree that you have your eye on? Remember to demonstrate that you have thought about this question from multiple aspects – not just the scientific one.

Not taking the time at the start to think about what you want to say and structure the answer accordingly. You run the risk of talking without any logical structure for an extended time, leaving the interviewer none-the-wiser on your position!
Focusing on just one aspect and not demonstrating that you appreciate Medicine is a multi-disciplinary and varied area of study and practice.

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What Do You Wish To Achieve From Your Medical Career?

You need to have a basic understanding of what a typical career in Medicine might involve. Aim to cover your interests in the areas of clinical training, academia, general skills development, and social activities. Take why you want to study Medicine and translate that into something tangible that you would like to achieve.

For example, you might want to train as a Consultant and then travel the world engaging in humanitarian work. You don’t need to have a solid plan that you’re 100% determined to fulfill – interviewers understand that you’re only at the beginning of your journey into Medicine. They just want to see if you have an idea of how a medical career could satisfy your interests and how you can contribute to society as a Doctor.

Not being open enough. Many medical students and even Doctors end up changing their minds on what they would like to get from their career.
Forgetting to mention that you wish to help patients in some way. After all, that’s what being a Doctor is about.
Focusing on financial rewards or social status.

Why A Doctor And Not A Nurse?

Although this type of ‘Why Medicine? interview question might seem tricky at first glance, it’s really just an opportunity for you to further demonstrate your understanding of what being a Doctor entails, as well as showing that you’ve considered and explored other healthcare-related careers.

The best candidates highlight the similarities and differences of Doctors and Nurses (or other healthcare professionals) in an objective and professional manner. They also incorporate their own personal experiences to illustrate why they are more drawn to and/or better suited to the career of a Doctor compared to that of a Nurse.

Illustrate the similarities and differences with examples. Conclude by highlighting why you are a better fit for the career of a Doctor, with respect to interests, strengths, priorities (i.e. what you look for in a career), and/or qualities. Be respectful and understanding of all healthcare professionals, as they are all crucial for the care of patients.

Criticising or belittling nurses (or other healthcare professionals) – this is definitely not professional and will not put you in a good light with the interviewers. More importantly, it shows that you have not considered the nuances of these professions in an objective manner.
Saying that “Doctors are more important than nurses.” Both professionals are absolutely vital in caring for patients in their own way. To give an example, while Doctors may be needed in decision-making with patients, nurses are often the ones who spend more time in the actual care and management for patients. Making such statements is not only a sweeping generalisation, it also shows that you have not considered the roles and responsibilities of each profession.

What Excites You Most About A Career In Medicine?

Although somewhat similar to “Why do you want to study Medicine?”, this interview question in particular focuses on the career aspect of a Doctor. The best candidates provide the interviewer with a clear demonstration of their understanding of what being a Doctor entails and their motivation for the profession.

You should show solid evidence of the steps you have taken to find out more about what a career in Medicine is like. This may include work experience or volunteering, further reading or research, as well as discussions with Doctors and medical students.

Explain how these experiences allowed you to learn about a career in Medicine and, more importantly, why this excited you. It may be helpful to cover different types of experiences which showcase different interesting aspects of a medical career.

For example, work experience is unique because you may have been able to observe patient contact. Further reading or research may have educated you about innovative advancements in Medicine. Discussions with Doctors and medical students may have taught you about the day-to-day realities of Medicine.

Answers that focus on superficial aspects of a medical career (e.g. social status, financial gains) could make it seem like you have the wrong priorities.
Responses that lack personal reflection, and only include buzzwords such as “fascinating” or “captivating”. You can certainly use these words to describe experiences, but in addition to this, there needs to be an explanation as to why you felt this way and why this experience made you realise this career is something you would enjoy.

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Medical School Panel Interview: The Definitive Guide

Home » Application Guide » Medical School Panel Interview: The Definitive Guide

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Medical School Interviews can seem daunting, but they can turn out to be a tolerable and almost enjoyable experience if you remember that you deserve to be there.

You have come through a long and highly competitive streak of Admissions Tests, Personal Statement drafts and revision so give yourself a pat on the back for getting through one of the hardest parts of your academic life.

As a student who’s entering the professional route, this will probably be the first of many times you are being Interviewed for something and, just like any other job Interview, you’re there because you’re being strongly considered!

So, when you begin your Interview preparation, aim to keep in the back of your mind that the Interview is where you can translate all your years of hard work to the panel.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

When will your Interview be?
What is a panel Interview?
Which universities use panel Interviews?
Who will the Interviewers be?
How to answer common questions.
Much, much more!

When will your panel interview be held?

Each university operates on a different timeline when it comes to holding Interviews for potential candidates and these can normally be found on the university websites.

In general, the Interview period extends from December to March and invitations are sent out a couple of weeks in advance either via email or letter. Oxbridge Interview before Christmas, so if you have applied here it is good to be a bit more prepared beforehand.

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What Is A Panel Interview Vs MMI?

Depending on your university, you will either have an MMI or panel Interview.

These follow a more traditional structure (like a job interview) where each student is Interviewed by normally two to four-panel members who can be faculty members, doctors or older students. A panel Interview normally lasts around 20 minutes, but this is dependent on the pace of the Interview and whether they are running late!

Multi-mini Interviews encompass a structured and timed circuit where groups of students rotate around five to 10 stations, with each station being one-to-one, focusing on a different theme e.g. work experience, medical ethics , communication , role play etc.

Each style of Interview has its advantages and disadvantages, but the key distinction is that MMI Interviews are topic-focused whereas panel Interviews are question-focused.

Panel Interviews don’t give you the option to have mini breaks in-between to think ‘OH NO I completely said the wrong thing, they probably think I’m stupid!…’ but that’s probably a good thing. A series of back-to-back questions makes the Interview feel more like a friendly conversation.

The panel consists of people who love their work and at the end of the day, are excited to Interview people that share a similar interest in their subject – so let your personality and your genuineness to study Medicine shine through.

Which universities use panel style interviews?

More universities are adopting the MMI style Interview but those that still use panel are:

Queen Mary University
University College London
University of Cambridge
University of Glasgow
University of Oxford
University of Southampton
University of Swansea

Each of these universities ask similar questions drawing from your background, Personal Statement and the NHS, except for Oxford and Cambridge who have a higher focus on Critical Thinking and scientific concepts.

The teaching at Oxbridge is more academically focussed, so a large chunk of their Interviews consist of topics that they assume students your age aren’t familiar with. This is because they’re interested in seeing your thought process.

The key to doing well in these Interviews is to be verbal about what you’re thinking because the Interviewers can’t read your mind. They don’t expect (or want) students to have a correct answer, they just want to see (and hear) how you think.

Don’t believe all of the horror stories you might have heard from Oxbridge Interviews; they are just like any other regular Interview, which aim to stretch your knowledge a little bit more.

SUMMARY CHECK

The Medicine Interview period runs from early December to March. You’ll be invited a few weeks before your Interview.
Panel Interviews are usually 20-30 minutes long and will have two to four Interviewers.
Only seven universities use panel Interviews – find out your choice’s specific format.

What impact does the interview have on your application?

Before we get onto common questions that are sure to pop up somewhere in your interviews, let’s talk about how important the interview stage is in the bigger scheme of things.

As you are probably aware, different parts of the application process have different weightings in each universities ‘tick list’. For example:

Oxford tends to interview just 30% of candidates and place a 50/50 weight on GCSEs and BMAT.
Imperial requires candidates to meet a minimum score in every section of the BMAT to be called for an interview. From there, most of the candidates are interviewed AND receive an offer.
Cambridge are known to interview a high percentage of candidates (around 90%) and then many factors including your interview performance play a big role in them giving out an offer.

Every university has a different percentage of candidates they tend to interview so it’s worth looking into your chosen universities and finding out their specific process

How Do Interviewers Score Candidates?

Understandably, universities like to be secretive in what exactly they look for in candidates. They are thought to have their own mark schemes which have a list of different criteria and a scale on how well the candidate met that requirement.

Even though the list differs among universities, common themes which are thought to be assessed are – communication, motivation for medicine, coping with stress, understanding of a medical career, suitability to university life, reflectiveness etc.

Your marks and overall impression allow interviewers to place a quantitative score on your performance.

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Who will your interviewers be & What will they be looking for?

As there are a multitude of things which need to be quickly assessed in the Interview, different members of the panel have different roles.

You will normally have a scribe; this member tends to speak very little and might give you a stare down.

One or two panel members will take a lead role in asking questions and directing the conversation. They normally have a copy of your Personal Statement and sometimes a copy of your BMAT essay which they scan through prior to the Interview, to help them in asking a few questions.

This is why it is so important to basically be able to recite your Personal Statement and be prepared for follow-up questions.

For example, if you wrote about a particular book/research article that interested you, they might ask you what your favourite part was or what parts you agree/disagree with.

If you read it a long time ago, read it again and form opinions of what you read.

Another common point of conversation, drawing from your Personal Statement, is about your work experience.

Something which I recommend doing is making a list of all the volunteering, shadowing and extra-curricular tasks you have done and write down – what you saw, what you did, what you learned, reflection on those experiences and why they will make you a good Medical Student.

This can be helpful for many different questions such as “What did you learn from your work experience?”, “What skills did you gain from carrying out this GP placement?”, “Is there something you saw in your work experience that impacted you negatively?”

You’ll be scored in the university’s specific mark scheme – these are difficult to find but most universities will consider things like communication skills, dedication, motivation, work experience, understanding the career etc.
List all of your work experience and fill out what you say, what you did, what you learnt, how you reflected and how this will make you a good Medical student.

Common Panel Interview Questions

In this section, we’ll run through a few common panel interview questions and how you should think about answering them.

Q1: Why do you want to study medicine?

I can guarantee this question will come up at some point, so it is crucial that you know why EXACTLY you want to study Medicine and not anything else.

You will have most likely mentioned what your motivation behind Medicine was in the Personal Statement so you can use that as a starting point.

This is the question that many students struggle with as they simply aren’t individualistic. Obviously, you want to help others and you like science but that alone doesn’t explain why you would want to devote your entire life to becoming a physician.

The panel want to hear about your experiences and interactions you’ve had with patients and how that has had an impact on you.

Is it something you saw on your work experience?
Was there a particular interaction with a doctor that stuck with you?
Perhaps a doctor-patient interaction that you wanted to embody?

Whatever your reason is (and remember there is no right or wrong), make sure you are personal to yourself – that is how you will stand out.

Q2: Why have you chosen this university?

It makes sense right that Medical Schools want to accept students who have a genuine desire to be there.

Expressing to the panel your interest in their institution will make them believe that you have a lot to offer. This question can be asked in the form of:

How will you contribute to university life?
Why do you think you’re suitable for this university?
What things would you like to get involved with here?”

Perhaps you like the location, course structure, the extra-curriculars the university offers, the research the university undertakes.

Even better, you can show your extra-keenness by going a few steps ahead e.g. there might be a particular BSC course available which you are interested in as you’ve already done an EPQ on that subject.

As much as you want to go to that university, ensure you highlight why that university would benefit from having you.

Q3: What skills/qualities do you have that will make you a good doctor?

A large part of your understanding of a Medical career will be based on your work experience. But it isn’t that easy for everyone to gain work experience and universities know that.

This is why they aren’t really interested in where you did your placement, but in fact what you learnt and what skills you developed which you can use in your Medical career, no matter how big or small you might think they are.

You may have gained many more skills by working at a retail store over the summer such as good communication, listening, teamwork, resilience than spending a week on a hospital placement, where you may have spent the majority of your time sitting around drinking coffee.

The kind of qualities that doctors should have are empathy, communication, teamwork, level-headedness, leadership, analytical ability, determination etc.

Like we mentioned earlier, if you make a list of all your experiences and link that to what you learnt and what skills you gained, it will help you in recalling and linking these experiences in the Interview.

To give you an example, during a ward round you may have seen that the doctor took his time to speak with each member of the multi-disciplinary team on a big ward and he valued their contributions. They then took this information and applied it to the care of their patients.

So, what you saw from this was: how every member of the team contributed while the doctor took a lead role and listened to everyone.

What you learned was: that every healthcare professional plays an integral role in the care and safety of their patients and even though the doctor was leading the team, he genuinely took the inputs of every healthcare professional in order to ensure that patient care was prioritised.

Finally, the last and most important part – why what you learned will help you in becoming a better doctor: by witnessing how admirably the doctor directed the ward rounds by maximising the contributions of his team; it nurtured an environment of openness and learning which ultimately improved the overall care of the patients and also the working environment among colleagues.

Thus, you now know the importance of teamwork and leadership in Medicine.

Q4: What are your weaknesses?

This is also a tricky question as you don’t want to put yourself in a heavily negative limelight to highlight anything that may question your suitability for medicine.

That is why, it’s best to answer this question by picking weaknesses which can be easily improved and showing the interviewers that you are taking action to improve.

Another thing you could do is pick a weakness that can also be seen as a strength in certain situations.

For example, you have noticed that you are able to speak freely and confidently in smaller groups but with a large group you are more reserved and take on a better listening role.

However, you want to get better at speaking to bigger groups so you have joined the debating society to strengthen your expression of opinions to larger audiences and this is important in Medicine as you will often be required to deliver presentations and lead a group.

Q5: Tell me about a time when you demonstrated (a quality of a good doctor e.g. conflict resolution).

These are again a common type of question and by making that all important table we mentioned, will come in handy.

You can directly link the skill/quality back to where you learned it. Don’t forget to say why that skill is important in becoming a good doctor .

Make sure you listen to the question carefully, as this question says ‘demonstrated’ not witnessed, so rather than picking something you saw during a work placement, it’s better to choose an example from your own life e.g. participating in a society or an extra-curricular activity.

A good technique to structure this answer is by using the STARR technique:

S – Situation
T – Task
A – Action
R – Results
R – Reflection

Q6: Medical ethics

These questions are asked for interviewers to assess whether the candidate has sufficient ethical knowledge and is able to balance their judgements.

A good book that I recommend reading is ‘Medical ethics: a very short introduction’. This highlights the main principles behind ethics using many real-life examples.

There are 4 main pillars which base medical practice: Autonomy , Justice , Beneficence and Non-Maleficence .

In layman’s terms they mean: respect for the patient’s choice and rights, maintaining equality, a doctor’s duty to do good and a doctor’s duty to do no harm.

So, when faced with an ethical scenario, you should be thinking about these 4 terms to give arguments for and against something.

It is very important to not pick a strict side straight away as you will be credited on your ability to see both sides of an argument, so it is best to leave out any personal strong feelings about a subject.

You may give your own opinion after you have explained both sides of a scenario but try to keep this fairly neutral.

A few examples of medical ethics questions are:

“An 11-year-old boy requires a blood transfusion to live but his parents are Jehovah’s witnesses (don’t believe in giving transfusions), so refuse the life-saving treatment, even though the boy wants to go ahead. What should the doctor do?”
“A 15-year-old girl goes to the GP and tells the doctor that she’s 2 months pregnant. She asks for an abortion and requests that he doesn’t inform her parents, is it okay for the GP to do this?”

These are tricky questions and the answers aren’t straightforward.

You are required to know a little about the laws surrounding such issues in the UK and things such as at what age doctors are allowed to override a parent’s conflicting opinion of a treatment if their child is of age to make his own decisions and in the case of the girl, in what cases does the GP have to inform someone of her pregnancy?

Top Tips & Key Advice For Panel Interviews

Don’t rehearse TOO much.

During your preparation, don’t write down long answers to questions and memorise them word for word as you fall into the trap of sounding rehearsed, overprepared and unable to think on the spot. Tutors prefer to see students who can give more precise, thought out answers to questions, so we suggest writing bullet point answers and referring to them if you get stuck.

Be mindful of your body language.

Body language is equally as important as verbal language. Look friendly, smile, make regular eye contact with everyone, don’t fidget with your hands and use hand gestures if it aids you in expressing something.

Take a breath!

If you forget something, take a moment to pause, recollect your thoughts and begin again. It is absolutely fine to take some time to think before answering a question and I recommend you do this to know what you want to say before you say it.

Practice, practice, practice.

Practice with your family and friends little and often and listen to their feedback. I recommend imitating a real interview (without any breaks or laughter) and getting someone to ask you a set of questions and score you on various aspects. Ask them to be honest in their feedback as this is the only way to improve for the real day. If you’d like to practice in mock interview conditions with Medicine Interview Experts, why not check out our Interview support and see if it’s something that interests you?

Always remember that PATIENT SAFETY is key.

Whatever healthcare professionals do, it is always in their best interests to prioritise this. If you get stuck in the interview, you can always refer back to this.

We hope this article has helped you understand your upcoming panel interview. It’s a lot to take it, but honestly, you will enjoy the interview on the day. It’s the last step to your university place so once it’s out the way, breath a sigh of relief and wait for your offers to roll in.

Good luck for your upcoming interviews!

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