Interviews for Entry to the School of Medicine at

Imperial College, London

Questions Asked (and some suggested responses)
1) When and why did you decide that you wanted to be a doctor? do
think about this question in advance. The fact that your father mother
unc!e etc is a doctor is not a good enough reason you need to show
you interest and enthusiasm for this profession what you cou!d gain
from it and how others cou!d benefit from your ro!e
") What wou!d you do if you don#t get into medica! schoo! this year? the
pane! want to know that you are committed to medicine and that you
wi!! keep trying$ finding another route into medicine via biomed
sciences etc
%) Te!! me about a patient who interested you whom you met during your
work e&perience the pane! are !ooking for evidence of empathy. They
a!so want to see what you#ve !earned during work e&perience they
were particu!ar!y impressed with those students who cou!d ta!k about
the 'team( invo!ved in patient care in hospita! ie not )ust doctors but
nurses$ admin$ porters$ c!eaners etc. Work e&perience shou!d inc!ude
some 'rea!( patient awareness ie not )ust with a consu!tant on *ar!ey +t
but in o!d peop!e#s homes$ with ,- receptionists etc. Those who#d done
work in !abs didn#t seem ab!e to ta!k about patients demonstrate
empathy.
.) Te!! me about a time when you fe!t stressed and how you dea!t with it
ie what do you do to re!a& the pane! want to know that you wi!! be
ab!e to switch off from the stresses of the course
/) Te!! me about a time when you demonstrated !eadership or team ski!!s
the pane! were !ooking for candidates who cou!d demonstrate both
ski!!s (ie a rounded persona!ity). 0n the back of their minds was wou!d
0 be happy having this person on my team?
1) Te!! me something medica! that has interested you in the media
recent!y many candidates ta!ked about what they had read in medica!
)ourna!s but one member of the interview pane! wou!d have !iked
someone to raise the story about 2ade ,oody#s fight with cancer$ the
pub!icity that#s surrounded it and the impact it#s had on the numbers of
peop!e !ooking at cancer re!ated websites$ and on numbers going for
smear tests. 3n abi!ity to app!y news to medicine in an origina! way is
c!ear!y va!ued here.
4) What do you fee! wou!d be an unp!easant part of being a doctor?
5) What contribution wou!d you make to university !ife? this question
was asked by the +tudent 6epresentative on the pane! and is a way of
ensuring that they are offering p!aces to peop!e who have more to offer
than 3 grades. 3 good answer required know!edge of the prospectus
and societies faci!ities offered by the university and a!so gives you the
chance to suggest something you cou!d set up yourse!f7
+tudents shou!d be prepared to ta!k about anything mentioned in their
ersonal Statements$ inc!uding8
o comments that !eft unanswered questions
o obvious mistakes (eg one candidate who referred to managed to
confuse cerebra! pa!sy and cystic fybrosis the +tudent 6ep
cou!dn#t be!ieve that the candidate hadn#t taken time to check
this before sending off)
o anything in which the pane! were particu!ar!y interested.
o What they have !earned from any e&periences mentioned and
how that might benefit others
They were a!so asked an 'Ethical Question( the pane! had a coup!e
of questions that they used during the interviews eg
o What are your views on c!oning?
o 0f you had 91::$::: to spend$ wou!d you give it to a % year o!d
needing a heart transp!ant or to 1:: o!der patients needing hip
rep!acements?
There were no 'rightwrong( answers but they were encouraged to
show empathy and an awareness of ethics when engaging in a debate
about the sub)ect. The pane! encouraged candidates to take time to
ref!ect on their responses$ considering proscons and to show a ho!istic
approach to patient care.
!inal suggestions and tips for the interview" application include8
o +howing more than 'te&tbook know!edge and e&amp!es( of
medicine science the question about medicine in the media
certain!y addressed this and the pane! wanted to see awareness
of8
;mpathy
<urrent issues eg 2ade ,oody
;ven T= programmes and the debates arising from the
issues they cover
o Think about !ike!y questions$ and your answers$ before the
interview
o >e prepared to e&pand on anything you mention in interview eg
hobbies if you mention reading$ you wi!! need to ta!k about the
books you read and$ if re!evant$ !ink them to issues that might
arise on the course (ethics?)
o ?on#t be too gigg!y overenthusiastic f!at smi!e and re!a&7
o 33@ grades are a given for a!! app!icants to Aedicine they wi!!
a!so !ook at >A3T scores and wi!! short!ist those with >A3T
scores in >and 1 ". Those with >A3T scores in >and % are
un!ike!y to be short!isted.
o +tudents who p!an to defer are !ooked upon favourab!y because
they are showing commitment to the course$ pursuing
opportunities for work e&periences and are !ike!y to be more
mature with they start the course