With the deadline to submit university applications fast approaching, it would be a good idea to start building up the knowledge and skills you need to ace your interviews and give you the best chance of receiving an offer.

If you haven’t started interview preparation yet - don’t worry! – you still have plenty of time left to get a head start. Remember, interviews usually run from November all the way to March. Before you even start to focus on the relevant skills however, do a bit of research into how your chosen university conducts interviews so you can best tailor your strategy. Most commonly, these take place as an MMI, panel or group interview. Note that it also worth checking whether the university will be having online or in person interviews. 

It’s really helpful to make a document to put down all the information. You could categorise the sections into:

• NHS Hot Topics and case studies

• The benefits/ challenges of working for the NHS 

• Buzzwords/ common interview topics for your university 

• Research projects completed by the university/ what attracted you to the uni (to show an interest in them)

• Concise work experience reflections

• Your personal statement (you’ll be asked questions on it so you must read over it)

• Ethical debates such as euthanasia and abortion (make sure to relate these back to the NHS core values and the 4 pillars!)

(These are just a few examples, your own document should cover a lot more to prepare you for every possible situation)

Interviews may seem daunting now but with the right prep you can eliminate all the unnecessary stress and focus on making an amazing first impression. 

A few top tips:

• Don’t wear loud or dangly jewellery – this can be distracting and tempt you to fidget

• If you’re someone who talks with your hands a lot try practice speaking in the mirror with your hands on your lap/ minimal gesturing

• Pause before you answer – even if you know the answer this can help you to order your thoughts and stop you from freezing when given an unfamiliar question. 

• Speak slower - stop after each sentence and check your pace mentally

• Show interest through body language, smile at the right times, don’t be monotone

• Take initiative in the interview, introduce yourself and ask their name, don’t always wait for

them to ask you the next question (for example if there’s multiple questions on the prompt)

• Define key words in the question (or your understanding of it, like: public health is measures

and strategies taken to improve the health of the general public, and health literacy)

• You are the teacher in the station (such as if they ask about research or things you’ve read up

on) so teach it to them, be interested in what you’re talking about!

• Always link to medicine and the skills of a doctor 

• Avoid starting with ‘ok so...’ - it can come off as informal

Your interview is your opportunity to sell yourself to the university and convince them of your strength as an applicant to their course. There are even cases where a very good interview has led to leniency with UCAT scores and the required grades for your offer, so it’s worth giving it all you’ve got! Good luck!