This student applied in the 2021/22 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 grammar or selective state school.
Our Summary
Course: Standard undergraduate entry
Online MMI interview
Admissions Tests: UCAT
Top tip: Apply strategically to maximise success
Before I made my application…
Choosing to apply
When did you decide you wanted to apply to medicine?
When I was 15
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
I didn’t have use a 5th (non-medical) choice. I always knew if I didn’t get in I would take a year out and reapply.
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Hospital shadowing
How much work experience did you do?
A 4 day placement and a three days placement a year later.
How did you find your work experience opportunities?
Through asking someone I knew to take me on
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?
Went on a course, and then used MEDENTRY and Medify for questions (both of these are paid!) . I did 6 weeks of prep were in the first 4 weeks I would only do two mocks a week and concentrated more on the technique for each section. And in the last two weeks all I was really doing was the mocks to get the exam prep in.
What resources did you use?
MEDIFY, MEDENTRY and The Medic Portal course. The course provided a good base on technique and MEDENTRY provided revision resources that were incredibly similar to the real thing. Medify was good but some of it was easier than the real thing but I know they were working on hanging that last time I heard
*This student used paid-for resources. There is no evidence that these give applicants an advantage.
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 used online resources like Blackstone Tutors that had a question bank for interviews, as well as YouTube videos. I also had a general idea on how to answer questions because the cycle before hand I had interviews and offers from two universities but didn’t get my grades because of COVID.
What was your interview like?
There was a role play scenario based around interacting with a peer. I think they were trying to see how I communicated with them and ask sensitive questions.
Do you have any further advice?
The most important thing is applying tactically maximising your chance at an interview. This means taking the UCAT in August so you have time to evaluate your application as a whole and pick the unis which you think would probably give you an interview and from there rank them in preference. The priority should be to get into medicine not to get into a specific uni. I also think your grades are the be all and end all so do not neglect them at all (*this is one student’s opinion; there may be other circumstances affecting your grades, but do try to do well!)
If for whatever reason you don’t get an offer or meet a received offer, take a year out and apply again if you’re able to instead of doing something else and hoping to get in via graduate entry; there are less places overall for GEM across the country because less universities offer it (although it is not necessarily more competitive).
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.
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.
Paid-for courses and resources: 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.
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.
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.
Graduate entry medicine: A pathway into medicine for students who have already received an undergraduate/Bachelors degree. Some universities require this previous degree to be related to medicine (E.g. Biomedical sciences or in another science) while others don’t. Graduate entry to medicine is available at less universities and equally as competitive as undergraduate entry, but is a good option if you don’t get into medicine straight from school, or only decide you want to be a doctor after you’ve already received your degree, or later on in your career.
