This student applied in the 2021/2 application cycle and therefore the selection process at Nottingham 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 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?
It wasn’t a case of me knowing from an early stage in life, rather experiences I had with personal loss shaped me to believe I could help others where I personally felt helpless
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
I scanned through the UCAT universities and compared teaching styles with anatomy dissection a key aspect I was searching for. Then I compared location, campus viewings etc to order my favourites.
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Online work experience, Health and care academy
How much work experience did you do?
12 weeks
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 just read up on what the sections of the UCAT would involve and sat some mock questions and papers on Medify.
What resources did you use?
Medify was very useful just gave me the opportunity to practice on certain sections as much as I wanted.
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 made sure to read and practice all the MMI stations I was going to take part in. Did some basic research on the background of the university e.g. course type, modules, anatomy, buildings/equipment and the university values.
Then practiced answering some questions I expected to come up in the stations
What happened during your interview?
I was given an ethical scenario where I had to discuss what I would do whilst weighing up the pros and cons, as well standard stations asking about my personal reasoning for medicine. At first I was nervous but the helpers made sure to quickly help me relax.
Glossary
Dissection: Some universities use full-body dissection as a teaching method. This is when you personally get to dissect and be involved in the removal and looking at certain aspects of the body. Some students like the idea of this, while others don’t. This might inform where you choose to apply to medical school, so check out the universities you’re considering to see whether this is part of their teaching style.
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.
Paid-for resources and 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.
