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:
UCAT Book from Amazon
Before I made my application…
Choosing to study medicine
When did you decide to apply to medicine?
When I was in year 7
How did you choose which universities to apply to?
Based on distance from home, UCAT cut off scores, and acceptance rate
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Hospital shadowing, Care work (e.g. in residential care), Customer service role (voluntary), Online work experience
How much work experience did you do?
My placement was 2 days in a hospital and a 12 months for voluntary role work as part of my gold dofe as well. But the most valuable thing I learnt is not what experience you did, any experience that demonstrates the qualities you need in medicine is what matters and how you link that to how it’s made you choose medicine or know what to expect
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?
Two months or so before the exam I started working through the UCAT book and the explanations especially for situational judgement (SJT). I did about 10 questions a day and over time I finished the book
What resources did you use?
There was the UCAT book on Amazon which was quite big and had lots of questions in!
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 all the info for all the universities that was sent out. I also searched up online on YouTube a lot of interview prep and what interviews might look like and some creators had shared their experience with specific university interviews and what they would recover you practice. I got some of my friends who were also planning on applying to medicine and dentistry to come together and ask each other interview questions and see our responses. I also used The Medic Portal a lot to help come up with answers to why this medical school and it was really helpful to know what they’re doing at the moment that I’ve seen or has interested me and knowing about their program helps a lot in explaining exactly why you want to go there in a way not many other students might say so it’s unique and stands out
What happened during your interview?
I actually had a role play station for one of mine which I was surprised for and it was about showing empathy and demonstrating communication skills and what I found really important is taking your time and it’s ok if you pause for a while to digest the scenario and also listen to the actor and what they’re saying because that helps in the discussion and because of the stress a lot of people zone out.
To relax I stopped looking at any notes etc I made before my interview and I did my usual routine and sat down with a cup of tea to relax myself fully and reminded myself that it’s just an interview and that it’s ok.
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.
Books: Don’t worry if you’ve not been able to find this particular book or afford to pay for it. 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.
Situational Judgement Test: The Situational Judgement Test is a part of the UCAT, but is not about academics or reasoning. The SJT tests your ability to judge and make decisions in real-life scenarios – think of it like an ethical test. There are ways to prepare for this, so check out some free online resources which might help you understand how it works a bit better.
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.
Support networks: While not every student will have a support network to help them prepare, there are plenty of other ways to prepare for your admissions tests and interviews, such as through free online resources, like on our website.
The Medic Portal: The Medic Portal is a popular website that provides resources to help you prepare your medicine application. The Medic Portal has some free resources online but some are paid-for. There are good, free alternatives for preparation available online, so check out our guides and the university websites for details.
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.
