This student applied in the 2018/19 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 an Indian woman who went to a comprehensive school that does regularly send students to medical school.
Our Summary
Course: Standard undergraduate
In-person MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Before I made my application…
Choosing to apply
When did you decide you wanted to apply to medicine?
From year 7
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
Open days, and my UKCAT score narrowed my choice a lot as I got a medium score
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Care work (e.g. in residential care), lots of volunteering at nursing homes and the hospital gift shop
How much work experience did you do?
Over 3 years
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?
many practise questions from the book and mock test that was free from The Medic Portal before the exam
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?
My 6th form did a mock interview for me and I used The Medic Portal and YouTube videos.
What happened during your interview?
I had to talk with actors: I had to explain how to put something on, communicate with empathy in a difficult situation, discuss ethics from a case and evaluate and offer feedback after watching a video.
Do you have any further advice?
Use the online free resources like Medic Portal to get as much info on uni applications, personal statement, UKCAT and interview. So don’t get too focused on paid interview sessions and things as my friends who used them didn’t always pass. Think your answers through at interviews and ask them to explain things to you if your stuck. No answer is wrong, so just explain your reasoning by just speaking your thought process
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
