This student applied in the 2021/22 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
Online MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Recommended resources:
Medify
Before I made my application…
Choosing to study medicine
When did you decide to apply to medicine?
Since primary school
How did you choose which universities to apply to?
I am on a scholarship and I did not pick a university to apply to as a result.
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Online work experience
How much work experience did you do?
Not much, it was during the pandemic where finding work experience was very difficult back home and I opted to online work experiences.
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 used Medify for practice questions where the structure of the questions was really useful with feedback following every question, there were also timed questions, mock sections and mock tests. I signed up to a UCAT course by the medic life where a doctor and some medical students went through a few questions in each section of the UCAT and provided tips on how to make the most use of the time and how to eliminate answers.
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 a lot of articles/advice written by past medical students and doctors. I prepared by signing up to Medify’s MMI course where they provided practice questions, model answers as well as videos with students acting out model answers. There was also feedback on the videos to show positives and negatives of the acting. Also, I attended multiple online MMI courses by medical students to have mock MMI experience with feedback after each section.
What happened during your interview?
I had to make an ethical decision and back up my choice. Also, there were questions regarding COVID-19 where we had to discuss the pandemics impact on doctors and patients. Some sections I had to interact with actors and deliver them difficult news to the best of my ability.
Glossary
Online work experience: Some providers now do online work experience! For example, Brighton and Sussex Medical School run an online work experience focusing on 6 different medical specialities. Find out more about it here.
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.
Paid for courses: Some students choose to pay for courses either online or in person to help them prepare for admissions tests and interviews. There is no evidence that they give you an advantage. There are good, free alternatives for preparation for admissions tests and interviews, and some offer bursaries and discounts to students who come from low income families. Check out our guides and uni websites for more details.
Mock interview: Don’t worry if you didn’t have this opportunity. Interviews are designed to take into account that not everyone has the same level of preparation. See our guides and blogs on interviews to find out more about free online resources.
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.
