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!
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 Greek British woman who went to a grammar or selective state school.
Our Summary
Course: Standard undergraduate
Online MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Top tip: Don’t listen to people (especially teachers) that say you won’t make it. If you want to do it you will manage no matter how long it takes or what route you take!
Before I made my application…
Choosing to apply
When did you decide you wanted to apply to medicine?
Very young age (4-5yrs old)
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
Based on the likelihood of them accepting the fact I didn’t have GCSES as I went to school abroad and my relatively low UCAT score
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Hospital shadowing, GP surgery, Online work experience
How much work experience did you do?
I did 2-3 months total however I do not in any way believe this is required. I think even 1-2 online events are enough for you to get an idea and be able to reflect upon
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?
Regularly went over the separate sections of the UCAT and practiced them individually and in the lead up to the exam I did some mocks.
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 parts of a medical school interview book and watched YouTube videos which were like mocks.
What happened during your interview?
The questions were more general and not so focused on the personal statement. However I found the questions quite straight forward and easy to answer and I felt quite comfortable in doing so.
Glossary
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.
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.
