This student applied in the 2017/18 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 man who went to a comprehensive school in the UK 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?
At 7 years old
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
My choices were mainly impacted on which universities would accept my college access to HE medicine course, and then which were within a specific geographical location (as North as possible)
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
GP surgery, Other healthcare setting e.g pharmacy, physiotherapy, Customer service role (voluntary)
How much work experience did you do?
I had one week in a GP practice, one day in a dental practice and two years as a volunteer for my church
How did you find your work experience opportunities?
Through asking someone I knew to take me on
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 as many practice questions from the book below as I could!
What resources did you use?
‘Get into medical school: UKCAT questions’ – I found this most useful
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?
Researched the specific medical school in regards to when it was set up, what style of teaching was used etc. I also looked up the good medical practice by the GMC to learn what duties would be expected of a doctor and therefore a future doctor.
What happened during your interview?
I don’t remember much of the content of the interviews but I do remember feeling more relaxed and comfortable as they went on. each interviewer was friendly and helped me feel at ease. I had multiple stations of independent interviews which each had a different focus. I don’t remember the interviews being very academic but they were heavily focused on reflection, ethical thought processes and how I would describe my past experiences (from personal statements) as valuable to a career in medicine.
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.
Books: Books can be expensive! 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.
GMC Guidelines for Good Medical Practice: These guidelines 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. GMC Good Practice
Online forums: Online forums can be great spaces to find advice and first-hand knowledge, but remember that it may not always be the most trustworthy source of information. Take what you read with a pinch of salt.
