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20 How would you dissuade someone from going into Medicine? 74

CONTENTS TABLE 21 What are you looking forward to the most and the least about 75
becoming a doctor?
22 What are the different aspects of communication? 77
Page 23 How would you rate your communication skills? 79
Techniques & Frameworks 11 24 How have you developed your communication skills? 81
Formulating your answers 12 25 Can you learn communication skills? 83
"I don't like selling myself. It makes me feel arrogant" 13 26 Are you an empathic person? 84
Selling yourself. The "TAGS" framework 14 27 Can you think of a situation where your communication skills 85
Questions asking for examples 15 made a difference to the outcome of a situation?
The "STAR" technique 18 28 What makes a good team player? 87
Dealing with ... , coping with ... The four 'R's 21 29 Give an example where you played an effective role as a team 91
Expressing an opinion 22 member.
30 What are the attributes of a good team leader? 92
Analysis of interview questions
1 Tell me about yourself.
23
24 ,~
~1 Tell me about your leadership skills.
Are you a leader or a follower?
94
96
2 Take us through your application form/personal statement. 28 1:1 What makes a good team? 98
3 Why do you want to do Medicine? 29 I~ What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a 100
4 Why not nursing? Why not any other healthcare profession? 36 team?
5 What would you do if you did not get into Medicine this year? 39 \!, How do you manage your time? 101
6 What steps have you taken to find out whether Medicine is the 42 \I How good are your organisational skills? 103
right career for you? 1/ Tell me about your IT skills. 105
7 Tell me about your work experience. 45 1II How important is IT in Medicine? 107
8 Tell me about your gap year. 48 III What are your hobbies? 109
g What have you read or experienced to prepare you for Medicine? 50 ,Ill rell me about a non-academic project in which you were 111
10 What does a doctor do apart from treating patients? 51 i"volved.
11 Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years' time? 53 11 Ilow do you cope with stress? 112
12 If you had the choice between being a GP, a surgeon or a 56 Ilow do you feel that your hobbies have contributed to your 115
physician, which would you choose? Itldies?
60
13
14
What do you want to achieve during your career in Medicine?
What impact do you hope to make in the field of Medicine? 63 "
Ihl
Wllilt makes a good doctor?
WII,,! are your main strengths?
116
119
15 Why have you chosen this medical school? 65 Wily me you the best candidate today? Why should we take you 121
16 There are other universities with the same teaching methods. 68 llll?
Why this one in particular? , 11v.tllree adjectives that suit you best. 122
17 What attracts you the most and the least about our medical 69 II, oW would your friends describe you? 123
school? WI,,,! would you like written in your obituary?
18 What challenges do you think that a career in Medicine will bring 71 I'" V'H' IIl1vethe personality that it lakes to do Medicine? 124
you? WI,,,, .kills have you gained in your current work that are 125
1g What are the pros and cons of being a doctor? 73 I,"".r","hle to Medicine? (Question for graduates)

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79 What are the advantages and disadvantages of PBl? 177
50
51
Do you work better by yourself or as part of a team?
What is your main weakness?
126
128
I 80 What are the advantages and disadvantages of traditional 178
teaching?
52 If you could change two things about yourself, what would they 135

I
81 What do you know about our course, why does it suit you and 179
be? why does it interest you?
53 Who has had a major influence on you as a person? 136 82 This course requires a great deal of independent study. Will you 181
54 Tell us about your best I worst teacher. 138
manage?
55 Describe an instance where you made a life-changing decision. 140
142
I 83 60% of medical school applicants are female. Why do you think 182
56 What is your greatest achievement? that is?
57 What are you most proud of? 144
58
59
How do you cope with criticism?
How do you cope with conflict?
145
146
I 84
85
What are the extended roles of nurses in healthcare?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the increasing
role of nurses?
183
185
60 As a doctor, who would you regard as part of the team? 148
I 86 Does the bulk of medical treatment occur in the community or in 187
61 Why is research important? 149 hospitai?
62 What research have you done? 150 /17 How do politics influence healthcare decisions? 188
63 What type of research would you be interested in doing? 151 IItl Do you think it is right to allow private healthcare to run alongside 190
64 If you were to set up a new medical research project, what would 153
the NHS?
it be? 1111 How should healthcare be funded? 193
65 How do you go about researching something you know nothing 154 110 What do you think about the way doctors are perceived in the 194
about? media?
66 What makes a good teacher? 155
"I What does the phrase "inequalities in healthcare" mean to you? 196
67 How important is teaching in the medical profession? 156
68 Who should a doctor teach? 157
158
" What are the arguments for and against people paying for their
own healthcare?
198
69 When you are a doctor, would you like to get involved in • 'J! How does Medicine now compare with 100 years ago? 200
teaching? ",I What are alternative medicines I complementary therapies? 203
70

71
Give an example of a situation where you held an opinion but
had to change your view.
What is the worst mistake that you have made?
159

161
I uri
What is your opinion on them?
Do you think the NHS should provide alternative therapies?
Sliouid the NHS deal with patients who have self-inflicted
205
206
72 How do you know what you don't know? 163 dj~HtaSes?
73 Which question would you most want to ask if you were 165
'illould the NHS fund non-essential surgery? 209
interviewing others to enter medical school? III what ways can doctors promote good health?
167 211
74 Tell us about an interesting book that you have read or film that IlII""ld doctors show a good example to patients? 212
you have seen. WIIlIlls holistic Medicine?
170 213
75 Do you know what it is like to be a medical student? WIIIII{1 you say that Medicine is an art or a science?
172 214
76 Why do some students who qualify as doctors give up Medicine WIIIII do you know about clinical governance? 216
and never practice? WII"I do you know about the audit process?
174 219
77 Studying for Medicine is a long and stressful process. What WIIIII do you know about the European Working Time Directive? 220
makes you think that you can cope with it? WIIIIII. "Hospital at Night"?
170 221
78 What do you know about problem-based learning (PBl)? How WIIIII I. "Modernising Medical Careers" or "MMC"? 222
does it compare with traditional teaching methods?
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107 What do you know about "Evidence-Based Practice" or 226 125 A young woman presents with rheumatoid arthritis. She has tried 260
"Evidence-Based Medicine"? all the conventional treatments but is still having problems.
108 What do you know about Practice-Based Commissioning (PBC)? 228 Unless her symptoms improve, she will have to give up work in
109 What do you know about "Payment By Results" (PBR)? 231 the near future. There is a new but very expensive treatment
110 What are the issues affecting the NHS currently? 233 available. Treatment for a single patient costs as much as
111 What do you know about Shipman? 235 conventional treatment for 10 patients. The drug is not effective
112 How long does it take to become a consultant? 237 in all patients and in some cases gives rise to a worsening of the
113 How long does it take to train as a GP? 238 symptoms. What do you do?
114 Tell us about the four ethical principles of Medicine? 239 126 You are the Health Secretary and you have a budget of £10m 262
115 What does the term "informed consent" mean to you? 241 available to you every year. With that budget, you will be able to
116 Only competent patients can give consent. What is meant by 243 make a treatment or procedure available on the NHS. You have
"competent"? been given the choice between only two options: a treatment that
117 What do you understand by the expression "patient 246 will considerably alleviate the pain of arthritis sufferers and a
confidentiality" and when can it be breached? surgical procedure designed to repair a hole in the heart of
118 Would you be happy to let a Jehovah's Witness die because he 248 neonates. Both treatments/procedures have exactly the same
refused a blood transfusion? overall annual cost. What would you do?
119 What would you do if a known Jehovah's Witness arrived in A&E 249 117 A 14-year-old girl presents to you asking for a termination of 264
unconscious, bleeding profusely and needing an urgent blood pregnancy. What are the issues?
transfusion? I 'II An elderly lady refuses to take her medication for heart failure 266
120 A mother comes to A&E with a child who is bleeding profusely 250 following a recent heart attack. Not taking the medication
and refuses to allow you to administer a blood transfusion to the .poses her to serious risks, including possible death. She
child. Why do you think this may be and what would you do? presents to your surgery with her husband who wants you to talk
121 Do you think it is right for patients to make the choice as to what 252 orne sense into her. What are the issues?
is in their own best interest? I "" What would you do if a patient came to you asking for advice 268
122 You have one liver available for transplant and must choose one 253 ',!>outa non-conventional treatment that they had found on the
of two possible patients on the transplant list. One is an ex- llllornet?
alcoholic mother with two young children and the other one is a I III What would you do if a patient offered you a £50 voucher as a 271
13-year-old child with a congenital (from birth) liver defect. They 1111101 Christmas?
both have equal clinical needs. How would you go about I II 1'0 you think it is right for doctors to have conferences, training 274
choosing who gets the liver? 1,81lons and study material sponsored by pharmaceutical
123 Should alcoholics and smokers receive equal treatment to those 257 I I Illlpnnies or other corporate sponsors?

who don't drink and don't smoke? I I.' WIIIII is your opinion about euthanasia and assisted suicide? 276
124 What would you do if an obese patient demanded an immediate 25!l I \ I 1\ pnlient comes to see you and requests an HIV test. What do 278
total hip replacement which will fail in 6 months? Villi dO?
1\,1 '"'' 1110B physician looking after a patient who was diagnosed 280
willi IIiV B few months ago. You have encouraged him to
,H'1l 11I:1~ his diagnosis to his wife, which he has refused to do.
Wlllll iln you do?

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135 What is your opinion on vivisection? 282

136 What are the arguments for and against the sale of tobacco? 284
137 Do you think it is right for parents to conceive a second child to 286
cure a disease in their first child?
138 How do you solve the problem of transplant organ shortage? 287
290

MEDICAL SCHOOL
139 Do you think that the government is right to impose that the NHS
should only allow the MMR vaccine rather than three individual
vaccines?
140 You are a junior doctor and, just before the morning ward round, 292

141
you notice that your consultant smells of alcohol. What do you
do?
What would you do if you caught a colleague looking at child 296
INTERVIEWS
pornography on a computer at work?
142 What would you do if a colleague asked you to prescribe them 298
some antidepressants?
143 What would you do if one of your fellow junior doctors was not 300
pulling his weight in the team?
144 Do you think that sending a man to the moon was money well 302
spent?
145 Ten years ago, most doctors wore white coats. Now, few of them 304

146
do. Why is that?
Why do you think that life expectancy in the north of England is 5 305
TECHNIQUES
years less than in the south according to statistics?
147 Why do you think it is that we cannot give a guarantee that a
medical treatment or surgical procedure will be successful?
308 &
What do you think would be the advantages, and difficulties, for a 310
148
person with a major physical disability (e.g. blindness) wishing to
become a doctor?
FRAMEWORKS
149 Do you think that the Hippocratic Oath is still relevant to modern 312
day Medicine?
150 Do charities have a role in society or do you think that the 314
government should decide where all the money should go?
151 What has been the most important discovery in the last 100 310
years?

Preparation, Tips & Body language

Preparing for your interview
Tips & Body language
Asking questions at the end
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FORMULATING YOUR ANSWERS "I DON'T LIKE SELLING MYSELF.

IT MAKES ME FEEL ARROGANT"
Throughout this book, we will demonstrate how individual questions may be
approached in order to deliver a strong answer. There are a number of factors Feeling arrogant when attempting to sell oneself is a common and natural
that you should bear in mind and that should underline every answer that you feeling, which even the shyest candidates have. If you feel arrogant, it is often
give: because you are trying to sell yourself by making bold statements along the
lines of "I am a good communicator", "I am a good team player", "I am very
Keep track of time: no longer than 2 minutes for most questions, 3 minutes if organised", etc.
the subject is broad (any longer and you will put the interviewer to sleep).
I'lsentially, all you are doing is giving the interviewers your own opinion of
No one.liners: you need to explain what you say, back up all your yourself without explaining what you mean. There are three main ways in
statements appropriately and generally provide a well.developed answer. Which you can get around that problem and, with a bit of practice, you will be
This is what this book will teach you to do. Your answers should be ,~I. to build complete answers that present you as a balanced individual:
sufficiently long to be interesting. A minimum length of 1.5 minutes would be
appropriate. =xpress your strengths in an objective manner by mentioning the fact that
other people think that you are good (e.g. "I have often been
Keep to the point and use a sound structure/framework: always directly complimented by my teachers for being a good team player").
answer the question at the start of your answer. Do not waffle or have a
lengthy introduction. You can diverge slightly afterwards if you want (providing JUltify your skills by talking about the impact they have or had, and by
it is relevant). Make sure that your answer follows a well.defined structure or ~Ivlng representative examples (e.g. "I have good organisational skills
framework. Most structures/frameworks will consist of 3.5 main points (this is WI,lch really helped me in making the College's summer ball a success at
as much as anyone will be prepared to listen to). Raising too many points will II "I end of last year": you can then go into more details about what the
simply make you lose your audience. If you have more than a handful of "V'lnt involved). This helps dilute the bold statement.
points to make, try to see if you can reorganise the information into bigger
headings. ItlV practical and talk about your experience rather than what you think
'" .,r. good at. For example, "I have a lot of experience of working with
Substantiate and personalise: use facts to substantiate your answer. Facts 1"'"111 both as a leader and a simple team member" is a lot more effective
bring credibility to your answer. You can draw from your work or academic ,,,., ,Iown to earth than "I am a really good team player and team leader".
experience to discuss who, what, when, why and how, and to personalise r'l "HJrle, once you have made a statement about your level of
your answers. Using 'I' rather than 'we' gives more credit to your actions. I'''' Io)[1CO, you will need to go on describing that experience and your
•"I" wllhln it.
Be positive: keep the answers positive. Sell yourself. There is no need to
volunteer the negative facts. When discussing negative situations, use your lUll' '111 11)11
book, we will show you how this can be achieved in individual
answer to explain how much you have learnt from your experience. 11"'1

Conclude: always conclude your answer. Keep it brief. Whenever possiblo,

make sure that the conclusion relates back to you and your future role as II
doctor.
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SELLING YOURSELF QUESTIONS ASKING FOR EXAMPLES

THE "TAGS" FRAMEWORK Questions asking for examples are popular at interviews. This form of
questioning, called "behavioural", stems from the fact that your recruiters are
A number of questions are designed to make you talk about yourself, to likely to learn a lot more about you by getting you to talk about your past
describe why you feel that you are a suitable candidate for Medicine and what experiences than by asking you how you might behave in hypothetical
your aspirations are. To answer such questions successfully, you will need to situations. Typical questions are likely to be of the form: Describe a situation
address a wide range of issues, thereby demonstrating a broad knowledge of where you played an important role in a team, where you used your
the medical environment and what being a doctor entails. You will also need communication skills effectively, where you made a mistake, where you
to deliver your answer in a clear and structured manner, for which the leiled to communicateeffectively, where you had to deal with conflict, etc.
following framework should assist you. Where necessary, we will refer to this
framework throughout our explanations.
fh. Rules
AllI,ough most candidates find such questions difficult, they are in fact
Training & ExperiencelClinical ",I.lively easy once you have identified a good example to discuss, providing
• The exams that you have passed " 'u tallow a number of important rules.
The extent of your technical knowledge and of your training
• The extent of your experience
The courses and seminars that you have attended 11"1,, 1: Make sure that you choose a specific example
""~y candidates prefer to address vague situations or to speak about their
"MI"J,ilnce in general. For example, "Describe a situation where you played
Academic I" It flportant role in a team" often leads to answers of the type '" work in
Teaching others ''''''''1 nil the time, at school, in my summer job or at the local youth club".
Carrying out research activities '" I 1uch an answer would be missing the point of the question. If you read

• Ensuring that your practice is up to standard by doing regular audits 11110 'plltltlon correctly, it is asking about a situation, i.e. a specific case or
I'" • '1101 you handled. You would therefore need to be very specific.

Generic skills
• Communication skills (listening skills, caring approach, empathy, etc.) If,,'. ." r.k. some time to identify all the skills that you need to
• Team playing IIII''''';{,,'
• Leadership flU' lion such as "Describe a situation where your communication skills
• Management and organisational skills , " "",live effect on a situation", it is obvious that the question is testing
tltllil v to communicate. In other less obvious questions, such as "Give an
I,h. "t IJ IUuBtion where you had to deal with a complex situation", there
Social ',lIlllhol you can demonstrate such as:
Social life, hobbies, volunteer work, etc.
" .,1 ""ly 10 loke Ihe initiative and to work within your own limits.
II '11 to Identify the resources you need to resolve this problem.
'lillY

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The range of questions relating to examples is limited and you should
• Your ability to seek help from others whenever required. therefore be able to prepare adequately without wasting too much time. By
• Your ability to work with your team to achieve the best possible result. preparing examples of good communication. good teamwork, leadership,
Your ability to communicate with all parties involved. initiative and creativity, a mistake that you have made, dealing with a complex
situation and with a conflict situation, you will have covered 99% of the
example questions normally asked.
Rule 3: Ensure that your example is relevant and addresses as many of
the required skills identified as possible If they are suitably complex, some examples can be used to illustrate different
Many candidates are so happy to have found one example that they rush into ,kills. For example, dealing with a difficult customer in your summer job may
their explanation without thinking whether they are maximising their chances '",nble you to show good communication, good leadership and good conflict
by using it. A bad example will be difficult to explain in detail and will leave a ,,,,,'dling skills. Preparing complex examples will therefore enable you to kill
bad impression on the interviewers. ',v"ral birds with one stone and will help you minimise the number 01
n)ulInples that you need to remember.

Rule 4: Do not be tempted to make things up

It does not require much training to recognise a liar. Interviewers will be able
to spot fairly easily whether you are making things up simply by the lack of
detail that you are providing and the vagueness of your answers.

Rule 5: Be personal
Describe what ~ did, not what everyone else did (unless it is absolutely
relevant to the situation). Too many candidates waste their time discussing
what the team did and how the team worked, giving little information about
what they, themselves, did. You must always remember that the point of the
recruitment process is to find out about ~, not about anyone else.
Concentrate on the "I" rather than the "We" and don't be afraid of going into
detail, providing it is relevant.

Rule 6: Follow the "STAR" technique

The STAR technique, described in the following chapter, provides an easy
way to give a focused and organised answer. Take some time to apply it to as
many examples as you can so that it becomes second nature. See p.18.

Rule 7: Prepare suitable examples before you go to the interview

It is notoriously difficult to come up with good examples at an interview if YOII
have not done any preparation. Without that preparation, you will come "I
with examples that are lame and do not allow you to show your full potentll,l
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What you did and how you did it
THE "STAR" TECHNIQUE The interviewers will want to know how you reacted to the situation. This is
where you can start selling some important skills. For example, you may want
to describe how you used the team to achieve a particular objective and how
The acronym "STAR" stands for Situation Task Action Result. It is a you used your communication skills to keep everyone updated on progress
universally recognised communication technique designed to enable you to etc.
provide a meaningful and cqmplete answer to questions asking for examples.
At the same time, it has the advantage of being simple enough to be applied Why you did it
easily. lhis is probably the most crucial part of your answer. Interviewers want to
know that you are using a variety of generic skills in order to achieve your
Many interviewers will have been trained in using this structure. Even if they llhJoctives. Therefore you must be able to demonstrate in your answer that
have not, they will recognise its value when they see it. The information will vnll are taking specific actions because you are trying to achieve a specific
be given to them in a structured manner and, as a result, they will become "I'inclive and not simply by chance.
more receptive to the messages you are trying to communicate.
I 'I' ltxnmple, when discussing a situation where you had to deal with conflict,
Step 1 - Situation or Task """'V candidates would simply say: "I told my colleague to calm down and
Describe the situation that you were confronted with or the task that needed "I,,'ned to him what the problem was". However, it would not provide a
to be accomplished. Set the context. Make it concise and informative, ," "I Idea of what drove you to act in this manner. How did you ask him to
concentrating solely on what is useful to the story. For example, if the 10" c1l1wn?How did you explain the nature of the problem? By highlighting
question is asking you to describe a situation where you had to deal with a ,an'Ons behind your action, you would make a greater impact. For
difficult person, explain how you came to meet that person and why they were IIlph,;
being difficult. If the question is asking for an example of teamwork, explain
the task that you had to undertake as a team. ,,,Id '"nse that my colleague was irritated and 1 asked him genliy to tell
.,1 ",I II" felt the problem was. By allowing him to vent his feelings and his
Step 2 - Action , I II',ve him the opportunity to calm down. I then explained to him my
This is the most important section as it is where you will need to demonstrate II! lin I of view on the matter, emphasising how important it was that we
and highlight the skills and personal attributes that the question is testing. I •• "olHlIon that suited us both."
Now that you have set the context of your story, you need to explain what YOIl
did. In doing so, you will need to remember the following: ' •.•if"nll nnswer helps the interviewers understand what drove your
,. ",,,I ,,,I,,[orces the feeling that you are calculating the consequences
• Be personal, i.e. talk about you, not the rest of the team. , ", II""., Ihus retaining full control of the situation. It provides much
• Go into some detail. Do not assume that they will guess what you mean. fHIIllullon nbout you as an individual.
Steer clear of technical information, unless it is crucial to your story.
Explain what you did, how you did it, and why you did it.

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Step 3 - Result DEALING WITH ... COPING WITH !

Explain what happened eventually - how it all ended. Also, use the
opportunity to describe what you accomplished and what you leamt in that THE FOUR 'R'S
situation. This helps you make the answer personal and enables you to
highlight further skills. Interviewers sometimes ask how you would deal or cope with a particular
situation (e.g. stress, a difficult person). They are not asking for a specific
xample (in which case the STAR framework would apply), but the approach
Illot you would take generally.

'Illch questions are very hypothetical because, in practice, your reaction

wlIlIld very much depend on the intensity of the problem, the personality of
"IIIor people involved and the context. Nevertheless, you need to address
""U
II questions fully and the four 'R's framework should help you do this.

wgnlse the situation: You must recognise that there is a problem and
understand its nature.
lIu.1 YIlIl

, .ult Information about the situation: Gather facts, identify the cause of
1I'l1l1lorn and the issues involved.

Ille situation: Take the appropriate steps to resolve the issues

Ul 1111 tho situation: a good answer is always personal. You should

'till ~l'nlllat you can learn from situations.

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EXPRESSING AN OPINION
There will be many questions where you will be asked what you think of such-
and-such concept or situation. These questions are not designed to test
whether your ideas match those of the panel. Indeed. you are allowed to think
what you want. providing it'does not make you an unsafe or bigoted doctor,
and provided that you can justify your opinions with sensible arguments. MEDICAL SCHOOL
What the panel will require from you is an ability to think about the topic from
different perspectives, to present balanced arguments in a clear, concise and
structured manner and to be in a position to discuss the topic in an adult
fashion with them. In most cases, this will mean reserving your own opinion
INTERVIEWS
on the topic until the end and presenting the various sides of the argument
first. Giving your opinion first would not only stop you from addressing the
multiple facets of the issue in question, but would also often make you run the
risk of appearing one-dimensional.

In most cases, the opinions that you will be required to give will be related to
something which is either in the news at the time of the interview (current trial,
court case), an ongoing political issue (role of nurses, NHS reforms) or an
ethical issue or scenario (abortion, euthanasia, vivisection, liver transplants
for alcoholics, etc.). ANALYSIS
In order to deal with current issues or political issues, you will need to be
familiar with the details and this book will help you a lot in understanding
some of the intricacies. However, you would be well advised to spend some
OF
time reading relevant news websites and newspapers as they are often a rich
source of arguments that you can use in your own answers. ERVIEW QUESTIONS
In order to deal with ethical issues, you will also need to have done u
substantial amount of thinking and reading in your own time so that you COil
acquire a good ability to debate. This book will give you many arguments th"l
you can use. However, to complement it, you will need to spend some tim
discussing them informally with friends and family. You will be all the mar
equipped for having listened to and argued with your closest friends Ilr
relatives. The interviewers will expect you to engage in a similar debate Willi
them.

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Training & Experience
Provide the highlighls of your educalion so far, your 'A' Levels and career 10
QUESTION 1 dale. Explain how you developed your inleresl in Medicine and, as part of
this, whal you gained from your work experience.

Tell me about yourself.

Academic
Develop your experience and interesl in teaching, lab work, research, elc.

Introduction Generic Skills

This question, when asked, will be Ihe first one in the interview and you must llighlight your interpersonal skills and other personal attribules. This would
use it to your advantage to make the best possible impression. Most people Include communication skills, team playing abilities, organisational and
find Ihal it is a difficull queslion to approach and struggle to find an interesling h",dership skills. You should relate each skill mentioned to your life
angle. Consequenlly, they end up making one of two serious mistakes: nll:pnrlences and work experience, giving examples of situations where you
dl1lllonstrated such skills.
They want to teli their life slory and end up speaking for over 5 minutes,
giving a year-by-year account of Iheir studies and interests; Ild,,1
or 1.11. "lIout yourself as a person. What social life do you have? How do you
They menlion two skills superficialiy and do not personalise their answer. ,.10 •• 1 What are your hobbies? This aspect is importanl as il presenls you as
This results in a 10-second answer of Ihe Iype 'My name is John, I like w,,11 hnlnnced individual. This will be crucial throughout medical school and
science, I am a good team player and I want to be a doclor". '" lih, ns a doclor 10 enable you to cope with Ihe pressure of exams and
" Ill! work experiences, and to relieve your stress.
Many candidates' first reaclion is "What do you wanl me to talk about: my
studies, my hobbies or my work experience?" In reality, you should exploillhe 1\ J I lIlinutes to answer the question, and four sections to address, you
vagueness of the question to discuss what you want to discuss (and nol what II."IV hllve 30-40 seconds per section. You Iherefore need to be succinct
you think they might want to hear), using the opportunily 10 sell your II nllMwor, while providing enough information to sound interesting. This
experience and skills. 1" "pnrotion and practice.

How to approach the question I. "' nn Ineffective answer

Essentially, this queslion is asking you to verbalise informalion that should '''''''" /s John. I am currently taking my 'A' Levels and am really
already be included in your personal slatement. It Iherefore gives you an ,., 01" M"d/cine. I think Medicine will be a great way to have an
opportunily to shine using infonmation Ihal you have already gathered. If thero 11'0 w,d to make a real difference to people. I am a good
are some omissions in your personal statements, here is a chance to mak "''', II good team player and I am very dedicated and focused. I
up for Ihe deficiencies. 'llIJ loot/mil and going out with my friends.

In order 10 provide a complete picture, use the TAGS framework highlightull

I, ,,"I "lIad". The general slruclure and approach are fine bul
on page 14 and take the interviewers through each section in lurn. lUll \lllllUric to have a strong impact. Its main weakness is that
IItflllV •• Illtements that are not fully explained and whose
, 10 1••11I., llio judgement of Ihe interviewer.

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