This student applied in the 2016/17 application cycle and therefore the selection process at Keele 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
Sometimes students share information with us about their demographics, which may help put their application experience into a bit more perspective.
This student identifies as a white British woman who went to a comprehensive school that doesn’t regularly send students to study medicine.
Our Summary
Course: Standard undergraduate entry
In-person MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Before I made my application…
Choosing to apply
When did you decide you wanted to apply to medicine?
A year after finishing my first degree. It was the last time I could feasibly apply, I’d never been told that I would be able to make it and get through medicine. I was always told I could not. I was not happy with my working life post university and found little prospects and progress. Being 24, I knew that it would be the last feasible chance for me to enter prior to having children. So I applied and got accepted on my second attempt. I had no connections to anybody in medicine.
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
I selected based on scores, historical admissions scores and interviews. I personally feel comfortable at interviews so any interview component would help me score highly vs purely academic merit.
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Other healthcare setting e.g pharmacy, physiotherapy, I worked in clinical trials full time prior to entering medicine.
How much work experience did you do?
18 months of full time work.
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 did online practice papers. The UKCAT was not needed for Keele at the time (but it was for other universities). I got a very average score.
Interviews
What type of interview did you do?
MMI: 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 the information given to me by the medical school, I researched online for info about typical MMI medical schools, I did some GCSE maths revision (Keele does a basic maths test). I read around local news and topics and did generic interview research
What happened during your interview?
1. Questions about personal statement and motivation for medicine
2. Ethical dilemmas
3. Watching a scenario and giving feedback on what went well / what went wrong
Glossary
Clinical work experience: Not every student will complete clinical work experience before they apply to medical school. Don’t worry, this is not required to be able to apply. You can use non-clinical work experience (e.g. a caring role, like in a care home) or even reflect on paid work you’ve done (e.g. in customer service) in a productive way.
