This student applied in the 2021/22 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: Man
I went to a comprehensive school that does regularly send students to medical school.
Our Summary
Course: Standard Undergraduate
Online Panel interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Recommended Resources:
UCAT Books
YouTube videos
Medify
Before I made my application…
When did you decide you wanted to apply for medical school?
Summer before Year 12.
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
Based on location / ranking / course structure / student life. For my 5th option, I chose Chemistry because I found the subject fascinating during A-Levels.
What types of work experience did you do?
Hospital shadowing, Care work (e.g. in residential care), Customer service role (paid), Online work experience
How much work experience did you do?
1 Week shadowing at Hospital in Acute Medicine ward. 3 months volunteering in Care Home. 3 months volunteering in Hospital during COVID-19.
How did you find your work experience opportunities?
Through a formal scheme or work experience placement.
During the application process…
What admissions test did you sit?
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT): https://www.ucat.ac.uk/
How did you prepare for your admissions test?
Medify, UCAT official website questions, UCAT question book
YouTube was amazing (esp. Kharma Medic)
What resources did you use?
Medify was amazing! – highly recommend.
What type of interview did you do?
Panel: This type of interview is a ‘traditional’ sit down interview where you’ll be interviewed by a group of people, usually academic tutors and doctors. This differs from an MMI interview, which is based around ‘stations’ which have themes or scenarios attached to them.
How did you prepare for your interview?
Sheffield sent interview questions beforehand, so I did extra-reading around the topic to talk about in the interview. I made a list of facts about Sheffield, the course and the university. Also, I created a list of my experiences that highlight my Leadership/Teamwork/Communication skills that I could add to my answers.
What happened in your interview?
The questions were sent beforehand. Some additional questions were asked to follow-up my answers, which helped make the interview flow. I enjoyed the interview, and even made the interviewers laugh.
Glossary
Books: Don’t worry if you’ve not been able to find this particular book or afford to pay for it. You might be able to find secondhand copies online which are usually much cheaper, or at your local library (sometimes, libraries will order in books that you’ve requested, so check out this as a possibility too!). Bear in mind that some books may become out of date, so make sure you check when they were published, and if any changes to the relevant admissions tests/interviews have been made since then.
YouTube: There are many current and recent medical students who create videos on YouTube about their experience and advice about applying. Remember that their experience is personal and individual, and may not reflect yours. They might provide some useful advice but remember that they might be advertising paid for services. Take their advice as part of a more holistic approach alongside moderated advice such as ours, and official advice from universities and test providers.
Medify: Medify is a popular website which provides resources for helping you prepare your medicine application. Medify has some free resources online but some are paid-for. There are good, free alternatives for preparation available online, so check out our subject guides and the university websites for details.
