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!
Our Summary
Course: Standard undergraduate entry
In person MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Recommended resources:
UCAT 100 Questions Book
Top tip: The whole application process can be scary, but you just need to keep calm and follow the processes. Be ready for some hard work once you start though! But don’t be afraid.
Before I made my application…
Choosing to study medicine
When did you decide to apply to medicine?
First thoughts around Year 9 (pre GCSE) but didn’t really think fully until choosing my A level options in Year 11.
How did you choose which universities to apply to?
I preferred a campus university and wanted to go to a university where it was smaller cohort so I can actually get to know lecturers and they know me. I also didn’t want to be too far away from the main cities like Manchester and Birmingham.
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Hospital shadowing, GP surgery, Customer service role (voluntary), Customer service role (paid)
How much work experience did you do?
I did 1 week shadowing hospital consultant and 1 week shadowing GP.
How did you find your work experience opportunities?
Applying often and applying everywhere!
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?
As much practice as I could get. I started preparing a few months in advance but really sat down with practice 4 weeks before. Questions and questions and then advice videos on YouTube and researching some things on the internet.
What resources did you use?
100 UCAT questions book (sorry can’t remember the name)!
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 prepared by looking at all resources that the university provided and looking at YouTube videos on preparing for MMIs. This included preparing for ethics scenarios, current affairs and I tried to understand the format of MMIs at Keele.
What happened during your interview?
I had stations on ethics, general affairs, why I chose the university and other personal quiz-style questions. We had multiple types of station so some included performing a task, or talking to an actor, others involved reasoning and being able to justify my answers.
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.
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.
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.
