This student applied in the 2022/23 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 white British man who went to a comprehensive school that does regularly send students to medical school.
Our Summary
Course: Standard undergraduate
Online MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Before I made my application…
Choosing to apply
When did you decide you wanted to apply to medicine?
Year 11
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
I applied to universities I thought I’d have the best chances of getting into. My strengths were in my voluntary work and predicted A-levels + GCSEs so I didn’t apply to any UCAT heavy medical schools.
I didn’t put a 5th option down as I knew I wanted to go into medicine so I would’ve reapplied if I wasn’t successful
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Care work (e.g. in residential care), Online work experience
How much work experience did you do?
I was a ward helper on my local stroke ward for 4 months by the time I applied and 8 months by the time the interviews rolled around. It was all non-clinical but it was a great example of my dedication and other soft skills that are essential for medicine.
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 can’t remember any specifics but I do remember doing numerous practice question banks a day leading up to the exam
What resources did you use?
Medify—> it was good for practicing questions on abstract reasoning and quantitative reasoning, but I found it gave me a false sense of security with the SJT as I never scored below band 1 on Medify but then ended up with band 3.
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 watched lots of YouTube videos for advice and examples of practice questions. My sixth form ran a practice MMI session (mock interviews) as well which was very helpful to me as it gave me a confidence boost. Apart from that it was mainly research about the course/university, topical medicine areas in the news and I also put some effort into the key qualities of a doctor and recalling times I expressed those qualities.
What happened during your interview?
I was very stressed at the time but after the first couple of stations I got into the swing of things. My aim with the MMIs was to treat them like a conversation and try to be as friendly as possible because that would make me feel slightly more relaxed and in control of things.
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.
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.
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.
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.
