Dan
3 min
Nottingham Medical School is one of the most respected medical schools in the United Kingdom. It is also our founder, Dan's, hometown! Dan particularly enjoys walking around the lakeside at the University of Nottingham. It is unique in that it includes a BMedsci degree within the five-year programme. Teaching methods vary from full-body dissection through to case-based learning - a great mix!
After you send off your UCAS application, the university screens each
application with a range of tools. You can read about them here.
Nottingham University follows a MMI format, and in the past has had 6
stations at 5-minutes each. This includes one role-play station. The full
interview usually lasts about one hour in total, after taking into account
the extra reading time you get before each station.
The questions vary each year, but they all revolve around the same
topics. Nottingham has published the main qualities they expect to see in
students, and the stations are made to assess these qualities. They are:
- Good communication and listening skills
- An understanding of professional issues such as teamwork
- Respect for patients and the contribution of those working in
professions allied to medicine.
Below, I will cover these qualities, and also some other themes that are
likely to crop up in the interview.
These are key skills in medicine, and Nottingham usually assesses
them through role-play. They will be assessing how you communicate,
your body language, and how you build a rapport with someone. The
scenario may be based in a medical or a non-medical setting. Don’t worry
too much – you won’t be expected to know any specific details of medical
scenarios! They will mainly be assessing skills such as empathy along with
the good listening skills and good communication skills.
You could also be asked to talk about a task where good
communication was essential, or about a time when you witnessed good
or bad communication skills.
Top tip: this could be communication between a doctor and a patient, or it could be between a doctor and a
nurse in an MDT-setting. Always draw on your work experience and make sure to reflect on what you saw!
Teamwork is an important attribute of a medical school, and you can
be asked about it in different ways! Examples include being asked about
“a time you worked in a team and some of the challenges you overcame”.
Remember: Reflection is key in medicine! Throughout the interview,
make sure you are reflecting on all experiences you talk about.
Interviewers love to see what you learnt and how you improved.
Top tip: when talking about what you learnt, talk about how you implemented changes and how they helped you overcome future tasks.
This could be assessed by asking you opinion of professionalism
matters such as “is it okay for doctors to lie to patients?”. Respect for staff
and other allied healthcare professionals may involve asking you to talk
about your thoughts towards MDTs.
Top tip: If you have any personal experience of this from volunteering or work experience, then definitely
mention it!
You will likely have mentioned some activities you do in your
personal statement, so this would be a good time to expand on them!
Universities like to see that students are well-rounded and take time out
for themselves, as they understand the importance of looking after
yourself! You may be asked specifically about what you do outside of work
and how you relax, or you may be asked how your extra-curriculars help
you develop as a person, and how they could help you as a medic.
Make sure you are comfortable with the 4 pillars of medical ethics. If
you know those, you will be able to talk about any ethical scenario with
ease!
Top Tip: when discussing an ethical scenario, try to give an equal number of arguments for and against. It’s important to show the interviewer you are keeping an open mind and considering all views!
The interview is a stressful time, but the universities just want to know
what type of person you are. Practice example questions with friends and
family and make sure you’re comfortable with role-play and acting but
ultimately, be confident in your abilities! Good luck, you’ve got this!