This student applied in the 2019/20 application cycle and therefore the selection process at Sheffield may have changed since then. You should read all the information a University sends you about the selection process to get the most up to date details!
Remember to check out the glossary at the bottom of the page for our explanations of all the jargon we medical students like to use!
More about this student
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: British Indian
I went to a comprehensive school that regularly sends students to medical school.
Our Summary
Course: Standard Undergraduate
In-person interview
MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Recommended Resources:
Medic Portal
GMC Good Practice
The Lancet
Best advice:
Read up on the university course and the city. Think about why you’d be a good fit. Link your voluntary or work experience to why you’d be a good doctor!
Before I made my application…
Choosing to study medicine
When did you decide you wanted to apply for medical school?
When I was in my first year of college (Year 12).
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
I ranked them based on course content. I only wanted to go to universities that used cadaveric dissection for teaching. Some previous alumni recommended Sheffield to me.
Work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Hospital Shadowing
Care work (e.g. residential care)
How much work experience did you do?
I had a 2 week placement at Blackpool Hospital on oncology.
How did you find your work experience opportunities?
Through a formal scheme or work experience placement.
During the application process
Admissions tests
What admissions test did you sit?
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT): https://www.ucat.ac.uk/
How did you prepare for your admissions test?
I read the ‘How to Pass the UKCAT’ book. Did some practice questions online, through Medify.
What resources did you use?
Medify (a paid-for resource).
How to Pass the UCAT Book
Interviews
What type of interview did you do?
Multiple Mini Interview: This type of interview usually includes several short interviews or ‘stations’ which may involve different types of questions and scenarios. This is different compared to a panel interview, which may cover the same scenarios/types of questions but be a more ‘traditional’ sit-down interview.
How did you prepare for your interview?
I read up on the university course. Kept up to date with current affairs by reading The Lancet (a medical journal which you can access for free online) and The Medic Portal articles. I did some mock interviews with my college and read over GMC good medical practice.
What happened in your interview?
We had a station about the Sheffield medicine course. There was a station about interacting with patients, a station on how to approach an ethical dilemma and a station on problem solving.
Glossary
Cadaveric Dissection: Some universities use full-body dissection as a teaching method. This is when you personally get to dissect and be involved in the removal and looking at certain aspects of the body. Some students like the idea of this, while others don’t. This might inform where you choose to apply to medical school, so check out the universities you’re considering to see whether this is part of their teaching style.
Paid-for resources: Some students choose to pay for courses either online or in person to help them prepare for admissions tests and interviews. There is no evidence that they give you an advantage. There are good, free alternatives for preparation for admissions tests and interviews, and some offer bursaries and discounts to students who come from low income families. Check out our guides and uni websites for more details.
The Medic Portal: Medic Portal is a popular website that provides resources to help you prepare your medicine application. Medic Portal has some free resources online but some are paid-for. There are good, free alternatives for preparation available online, so check out our guides and the university websites for details.
Mock interviews: Don’t worry if you didn’t have this opportunity. Not everyone’s teachers can help organise this, and not everyone can afford to pay for a mock interview. Interviews are designed to take into account that not everyone has the same level of preparation. See our guides and blogs on interviews to find out more about free online resources.
GMC Good Medical Practice: These guidelines (click me!) describe what it means to be a good doctor. These can help guide you during your preparation for your application and how you answer questions in interviews.
