This student applied in the 2020/21 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 woman who went to a comprehensive school in the UK that doesn’t regularly send students to medical school.
Our Summary
Course: Standard undergraduate entry
Online MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Best advice: Getting in to med school is the hardest part so do not be disheartened along the way!
Before I made my application…
Choosing to apply
When did you decide you wanted to apply to medicine?
Since being a child
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
Cities which I liked the look of, medical schools with a good curriculum.
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Hospital shadowing, Customer service role (paid), Volunteering with dementia patients
How much work experience did you do?
Didn’t manage to do loads because of covid but what I did do was relevant and useful in interviews
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?
Just Medify for a few weeks. It’s very useful but expensive. Also, I performed better on their practice tests than in the real thing so they might be slightly easier questions.
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 researched the med school, the General Medical Council, and the 4 pillars of medical ethics. I also did Medify every day.
What happened during your interview?
I was asked about my personal statement and roles and responsibilities form. I was also asked to discuss medical ethics and other big public concerns. One station had a role play situation where I had to communicate with empathy.
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.
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.
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
Four pillars of medical ethics: These four pillars guide ideas about medical ethics. Knowing and understanding them can help you prepare for your interview and how you answer questions. Four Pillars
Roles & Responsibilities Form: Applicants to Keele University must fill out a Roles and Responsibilities Form, which helps the university decide who to invite for an interview. In the form, you have to write about any experiences you have had working in a caring role or having supportive responsibilities, but these don’t have to be medical in nature.
Role Play: some interviews or interview stations may require you to engage in a bit of role play. You might have to act out being in a scenario where you might have to deliver bad news or a clinical decision.
