Student blogs

Interview season is upon us. Although exciting, it can be really daunting as an applicant as you each medical school interviews differently so you don’t know what to expect. This year, Imperial is using MMIs (Multiple Mini-Interviews) instead of the traditional panel interview. Therefore, I decided to write this blog so people know what to expect and feel more at ease.

“The interview is not intended to be an intimidating experience and staff will try to put candidates at ease while evaluating the following:

• Motivation and realistic approach to medicine as a career
• Capacity to deal with stressful situations
• Evidence of commitment to the values of the NHS constitution
• Evidence of working as a leader and a team member
• Ability to multitask
• Likely contribution to university life
• Communication skills and maturity of character”

The above list is directly taken from the Imperial website. Essentially if you are able to confidently show the above qualities and attributes, you will excel at your Imperial MMIs.

There will be 7 stations of 5 minutes each with 1 minute between stations during which you will be instructed to read a brief about what the station is assessing. Each station will be assessing one core element of your fitness to study and practise medicine.

Interviewers will have different backgrounds; some will be lecturers and academics while others will be practising doctors or current medical students. A medical student will chaperone you throughout your interview day. You will be offered to go on a tour of the South Kensington Campus after the interview.

How to prepare for you Imperial medicine interview:

• Know your personal statement forwards and backwards
• Be ready to answer common questions such as ‘Why medicine?’ and skill-based questions such as ‘Give an example of a time when you showed strong communication skills’
• Don’t script or overrehearse your answers
• Mock interviews are the best way to prepare. You can do them with family, friends or teachers
• Always time yourself when you do a mock interview
• Practise role-play scenarios. You can find a lot of resources online.
• Familiarise yourself with the four pillars of medical ethics and with discussing medical ethical issues

How to perform exceptionally during the interview:

• Manage your time well as you won’t be notified of the time progression during each station.
• Make sure you smile and maintain appropriate eye contact with the interviewer
• Speak slowly and clearly, it is very easy to panic and speak really fast
• If unsure about the question, it is better to ask the interviewer to rephrase it as they are there to help you
• When appropriate, use examples to back up your answer, reflect on what you learnt from it and highlight how it will help you study medicine

If you would like more advice about how to prepare for medicine interviews in general, please check this blog which outlines some good strategies.

I hope you find this reassuring and useful and if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments and I will try my best to answer them.

Good luck 😊

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