Learning Medicine - Interviews

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Interviews
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Academics and careers advisers debate the usefulness and fairness of
an interview in the process for selecting future medical students and
doctors. Those on the receiving end – the candidates – are unanimous
in the belief that the interview is somewhere between daunting and
dreadful. Some of the dread is fear of the unknown, as well as fear of
being judged on what is little more than first impressions. Read on,
and you may have some of those fears dispelled and be able to give
yourself a better chance at creating a positive impression.
On a dull overcast day due for an imminent downpour, you step off the early morning
train in your best new outfit, shoes polished, hair neatly brushed, clutching a copy of a
newspaper in which you have just been reading an article about trendy new treatments for
anxiety. As you approach the gates of the medical school and see the sign directing
“Interview Candidates This Way” you wish you could remember any of the useful tips
from that newspaper article; as it is you are so nervous you are no longer sure you can
even remember your own name. It is not your first interview for a place at medical school,
you had one last week. Although most of the details are lost in a haze of pounding heart-
beats and sweaty palms, you are unable to rid yourself of the image of that professor’s face
when you dug yourself into a hole discussing the nutritional requirements of the Twa
pygmies, a subject in which the sum of your knowledge was gleaned from the last 5 min-
utes of a late night documentary on BBC2. In what seemed like only half a minute, you
are back at the railway station, on your way home, while the fearsome trio of interviewers
dissect your inner being and decide your worth for that precious place at their medical
school; your passport to their worthy profession. It feels like your life is in their hands.
SS
Most medical schools interview those students who seem the strongest on
paper (through past achievements, predicted exam success, the confidential
reference, and the student’s own statements on the application form) and
use the 15–20 minutes interview as a way of choosing between them. The

remaining schools interview smaller numbers such as mature students, in an
attempt to assess motivation and circumstances more fully.
The purpose
In general, the interview is an opportunity to test the students’ awareness of
what they are letting themselves in for, both at medical school and as a doc-
tor. This can range from the impact of medicine on personal life to how
medicine relates to the society it serves. It also allows the interviewers to
explore whether applicants can communicate effectively, can think a prob-
lem through with logic and reason, and are speaking for themselves and not
regurgitating well rehearsed answers which teachers and parents have
thought up for them; it also reveals some of the qualities above and beyond
77 Interviews
academic ability which are desirable in a caring profession such as compa-
ssion and a sense of humour. Occasionally, a student who seems outstanding
on paper can seem so lacking in motivation, insight, or humanity that he or
she loses an offer which would otherwise have seemed a certainty. Likewise,
the interview can allow students who seem equal on their Universities’ and
Colleges’ Admissions Services (UCAS) forms to make their own case either
through special circumstances or by a shining performance.
The panel
The interview panels differ in style and substance between schools but typ-
ically consist of three or four members of staff and often a student. The
panel is a mixture of basic scientists, hospital consultants, and general prac-
titioners, one of whom, often the senior admissions tutor, will take the
chair. Members of panels attend in an individual capacity and not as repre-
sentatives of particular specialties. They know that medicine offers a wide
range of career opportunities, that most doctors will end up looking after
patients but not all do, that more will work outside hospitals than in, and
that both the training and the job itself are demanding physically and emo-
tionally. They also know that whatever their final occupation doctors

need to make decisions, deal with uncertainty, communicate effectively and
compassionately with patients and colleagues alike as well as maintaining
academic standards. The aim is not to pick men and women for specific
tasks but to train wise, bright, humane, rounded individuals who will find
their niche somewhere in medicine. The format may be formal, with the
interview conducted in traditional fashion across a large table, or more
informal, sitting in comfortable chairs around a coffee table by the fireside.
The tenor of the interview, however, depends much more on the style of
questioning; no matter how soft the armchairs they can still feel decidedly
uncomfortable if you are made to feel like you are being grilled and about
to be eaten for breakfast.
Dress and demeanour
Although the interview is a chance to be yourself and sell yourself, there
are certain codes of conduct that even the most individual or eccentric
78 Learning medicine
candidate should be encouraged to heed. Rightly or wrongly first impre-
ssions count, and so what you wear matters. Dress smartly and comfortably
and make an effort to look as presentable as you would expect from a
mature professional. If your usual style of clothing is rather off beat, then
perhaps for once it may be wise to let your tongue make any statements
about your individuality rather than your all-in-one leather number and
preference for multiple face piercing.
Nothing is more of a turn-off to interviewers than someone who is full
of himself (or herself!) and seems to be finding it hard to accept that his
offer is not a formality. On the other hand, an obviously talented and car-
ing student whose modesty and nerves get the better of him and who fails
to give the panel any reasons at all to give him an offer is almost as frustrat-
ing. The key is balance. When asked to blow your own trumpet, make it
sound like a melodious fugue not a ship’s fog horn. The best way to learn
how to achieve this delicate balance is by practice. Many schools will be able

to organise mock interviews, which can be useful, but often the more spe-
cific points relating to entering medical school can be best thought through
by enlisting the help of your local family doctor or a family friend who is a
doctor or by talking to anyone experienced in interviewing or being inter-
viewed in any context or by asking the advice of people who have them-
selves recently been through it when you visit the medical schools on open
days or tours.
The conversation
Almost anything can be asked. It would be advisable to have thought
about such things as Why medicine? Why here? Why now? You should be
able to show you have a realistic insight into the life of a doctor, and this
is often best achieved by relating personal experience of spending some
time with a doctor in hospital or general practice or, for example, by vol-
untary work in an old people’s home or with children with special needs.
Some panels put great store by your showing them how much you can
achieve when you put your mind to it and will want to discuss your expe-
dition to Nepal, your work on the school magazine, your musical or
sporting successes. Remember to keep a copy of your UCAS form per-
sonal statement to read before you go into your interview. It is very often
79 Interviews
used as a source for questions and it can be embarrassing if you appear
not to remember what you wrote. Even more importantly, do not invent
interests or experience, as you may get caught out. One candidate at inter-
view recently struggled through his interview after he was asked about the
voluntary work at a local nursing home which he put on his form and
replied: “I haven’t actually got round to doing it yet, but I’d like to”. He
was not offered a place.
It is often sensible to have kept in touch with current affairs and develop-
ments in research. This is particularly relevant if the medical school has a
strong interest in a research topic which has a high media profile. By reading

a good quality daily newspaper you will greatly assist your ability to provide
informed comment on issues of the moment. One candidate at interview
cited the strong research background as a reason for applying to that school,
and when asked to discuss which research at the school impressed him he
replied: “Fleming’s discovery of penicillin”. He knew he had not done him-
self any favours when the dean replied: “Could you not perhaps think of
anything a little more recent than 1928?”
With contentious issues such as ethics or politics, candidates will be nei-
ther criticised nor penalised for holding particular views but will be
expected to be capable of explaining their case. Specific questions on sub-
jects such as abortion, religion, or party politics are discouraged, but if they
are likely to cause personal professional dilemmas it is reasonable and sensi-
ble to have thought about them and to be able to discuss how you would
approach resolving such issues. Candidates with special circumstances,
especially mature students, should be fully prepared for the interview panel
to concentrate on particularly relevant factors such as whether they can
afford to support themselves during the course, rigorous testing of their
motivation, and questioning of the reasons behind their decision to enter
the medical profession.
It is usual for the panel to offer an opportunity for the candidate to ask
questions. A current student at the school sitting in on the interview can
often be useful in answering the candidate’s questions. Make sure if you
do ask a question that you do not spoil an otherwise successful interview
by asking a question which simply indicates that you have failed to read
80 Learning medicine