This student applied in the 2022/23 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!
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?
2017
How did you choose what medical schools to apply to?
I researched a lot of Universities and their qualities including transport, price of accommodation, any extracurricular activities and the length of medical course.
Completing work experience
What types of work experience did you do?
Customer service role (voluntary), Customer service role (paid), Online work experience
How much work experience did you do?
I unfortunately didn’t get any placements in a healthcare setting but was able to volunteer with many local communities over a 5 year period.
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 began by watching online YouTube videos and free online courses about the question and test layout to familiarise myself with it. Then I used Medify daily in order to get as much practice as possible, and doing a mock exam at the end of each week or when I felt most confident to track my progress
What resources did you use?
Medify was my main online resource which was very useful as it wasn’t too expensive and provided many mock questions as well as tracking your progress.
(*Medify is a paid-for service; there are plenty of free options online including UCAT Past Papers from UCAT itself).
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 researched online about medical school interviews and their layout, as well as frequently asked questions so I could best prepare myself. Trying to remain calm and confident was the main top tip!
What was your interview like?
We were given scenarios to give our opinions on and how we would behave in those situations. Also, I was asked personal questions about my past experiences and how these could apply to being a medical student.
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.
Online work experience: Some providers are now offering online work experience, such as the Brighton and Sussex Medical School online work experience, or the Observe GP experience by the Royal College of General Practitioners.
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.
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.
