Damien
11th June, 2001, 7:08 PM
Hi Everyone :D !
Interiews seem to be the only thing standing between you and a university place after you exam results and your UCAS statement have been taken into account. Many people are lucky to obtain an unconditional offer without an interview but the majority are usually interviewed. In most cases this is a stressful experience.
I have been looking up old interview questions from the "Basement" and I have also added some of the questions I have been asked and some from other people I know. Hopefully these questions can provide a base to an interview. It seems that Aberdeen commonly has the toughest of interviews although different people have got different views. But it does seem that Aberdeen does give a "grilling". I know I certainly had one when I went.
Aberdeen
I have some questions that have been supplied by Bernadette and I have added some of the ones that I was asked at Aberdeen. I was asked the following:
Why did you decide to study medicine?
This seems to be a pretty standard question which nearly everyone gets gets asked.
When did you first decide you wanted to study medicine?
What was the most important aspect of your work experience?
In my opinion, this gives you an opportunity to impress the interviewers as it is a very open question. After answering this question the subject got onto teamwork which I briefly mentioned at the end of my answer. This showed to me that the questions aren't set. Infact as I was interview was progressing the other two interviewers seemed to be writing down the questions they were going to ask on brown envelopes.
Do you think teamwork is important?
In my answer to this question I basically described the porters all the way up to the consultants (I mentioned consultant surgeons) where they began their next question. It is possible to "make" your next question.
How long do you think it takes to become a constultant surgeon?
What do consultants do?
What are the advantages of working long hours and what would you say are the disadvantages?
How would you cope with the emotional side of medicine?
This question seems to get asked a lot although maybe not in the same words. I talked about a drug overdose I saw in A&E and how it shocked me. They asked why I found it disturbing and if I would get used to it.
Was there anything you saw during your experience that put you off becoming a doctor?
What would you do if a fellow member of staff made a mistake that cost a life?
At the time of my interview, the recent headlines were about the doctor who had been responisble for the deaths of 30 people but no-one had reported him because he had been moving around hospitals every year. So you should make sure you are up to date on all medical news.
What if that person made more mistakes?
How do patients get out of hospital after surgery for example?
This first part of my interview was done by the first two interviewers. The third interviewer asked me about things in my UCAS statement - easy enough questions basically discussing my interests and how I keep healthy. However, his last question was very strange. In my personal statement I wrote that I enjoy using computers and he asked me "There is a lot of controversy about whether or not computers are good for a healthy mind". I simply said that they take my mind of schoolwork - I honestly didn't know what to say.
Here are some other questions that Bernadette was faced with:
How long does it take to become a GP?
Again this kind of question has arisen, in my case it being a consultant surgeon.
Do you think that the training is too long?
What else do consultants do in the hospital?
Again a consultant question.
Do you think that consultants should have a say in the general management of the hospital?
Do you think teamwork is important?
Who is involved in teamwork with GPs?
Teamwork again.
What is the role of a GP?
You should definitely make sure you know the roles of all the medical staff.
How would you cope with the emotional side of medicine?
Deja vu!
What do you understand by medicine being a vocation?
Is it as much as a vocation now as it was in the past?
What do you think when you see the bad press in the newspapers about the NHS?
In this case Bernadette said that most of it was all hype.
Bernadette wrote, and I agree: As you can see there are a lot of questions and they ask them very fast. You will have very little time to really think about what is coming next. I felt that I had been given a bit of a grilling. But it wasn't unfair or anything though. What I would suggest is that you really read through your UCAS form to see if there is anything that they could pick you up on.
I also have to say that experience is absolutely essential. I would say I talked about 50% of the time away using what I saw on my experience not to mention the fact that most of the questions asked require experience to have been undertaken in the first place.
GLASGOW
Now we have some questions that Ruth collected after a Glasgow interview:
Why have you chosen to study medicine?
When did you decide to study medicine?
The usual starters. Be ready for them.
Are there other careers you considered besides
medicine?
Have you spoken to your GP about medicine? What did
they say?
My GP actually tried to talk me out of doing medicine! But he is one of the doctors who say that the new ways are easier and the courses aren't as good as they used to be...
What experience have you had of a medical career?
What was the most important aspect of your
experience?
'Seeing good-looking doctors' would not be a good response.
Tell us the most interesting thing you have seen
during this experience?
Have you planned any more work-experience days?
Are you aware of what "problem based learning" is?
How did you research the course here at Glasgow?
What is your experience of problem based learning?
What are good skills for group-work?
Bringing in a big bag of Jelly Babies sounds good.
What makes a good listener?
What makes a good communicator?
Someone in your group is not pulling their weight.
How would you deal with them? Could you confront them
on the issue, and what would you say?
In your experience are you a leader or a follower?
I would say that the last eight questions would apply only to Glasgow (or a RAF interview regarding the last few)
What are the qualities needed by a doctor in order
of importance?
Scary - but the Dundee University pamphlet on medicine has a good answer to this.
What is the difference between a doctor and a nurse?
Who is the most important person in deciding
treatment out of the medical team?
If you disagreed with a colleague's decision on
treatment how would you approach them?
What is your view on euthanasia/abortion?
I would say that you are almost guaranteed to get a question on a medical issue.
Physical or mental handicap – which is worse?
I can't believe they asked this one.
What is wrong with the NHS?
Tony Blair?
There's not enough money to treat everyone – who
gets priority?
Should smokers be treated on the NHS?
I know a cardiologist who smokes like a chimney.
How would you deal with patients who wanted
treatment you did not agree with?
How would you deal with rude patients?
You ever seen the film 'Misery'
If you were treating someone you could not help
any further what would you do?
The patient does not agree with your choice of
treatment. What do you do?
Have you thought on an area of speciality? Why?
Do you know anyone who is medical
student/doctor/nurse…..?
Why have you chosen to study at Glasgow
University?
Why have you chosen the city of Glasgow?
This question could apply to any university. I prepared a reponse for every university. I researched into the areas' main attractions etc.
Why would we want you as a student over any of the
other applicants?
Are there other universities you have seriously
considered to study at?
Do you have any leisure pursuits that would help
in medicine?
Will you have to give up any of your interests to
study medicine?
Catrina has e-mailed me questions she was asked at various universities:
Her interviews included the usual starters and some new questions you should consider.
What do you know about this university?
What do you know about the course?
They go into a lot of detail about this.
What do you know about research that goes on at this university?
Be prepared for anything
If you get accepted to all your choices which one would you choose and why?
What will you do if you don't get into medicine?
Don't tell them that you already have a place I did and they weren't very impressed
And the famous: Do you have any questions?
Try to think of something interesting to ask them don't just say why should I come to your university like Catrina did at her Dundee interview. Needless to say she didn't get a place
I hope that these questions will help the new fifth years that will be attending interviews this year.
If anyone has questions that they were asked at an interview that are not shown in this package please e-mail me them to me and I will post them and then hopefully all the possible scenarios and questions will be displayed for the next geberation of interviewees.
Damien :evil
Interiews seem to be the only thing standing between you and a university place after you exam results and your UCAS statement have been taken into account. Many people are lucky to obtain an unconditional offer without an interview but the majority are usually interviewed. In most cases this is a stressful experience.
I have been looking up old interview questions from the "Basement" and I have also added some of the questions I have been asked and some from other people I know. Hopefully these questions can provide a base to an interview. It seems that Aberdeen commonly has the toughest of interviews although different people have got different views. But it does seem that Aberdeen does give a "grilling". I know I certainly had one when I went.
Aberdeen
I have some questions that have been supplied by Bernadette and I have added some of the ones that I was asked at Aberdeen. I was asked the following:
Why did you decide to study medicine?
This seems to be a pretty standard question which nearly everyone gets gets asked.
When did you first decide you wanted to study medicine?
What was the most important aspect of your work experience?
In my opinion, this gives you an opportunity to impress the interviewers as it is a very open question. After answering this question the subject got onto teamwork which I briefly mentioned at the end of my answer. This showed to me that the questions aren't set. Infact as I was interview was progressing the other two interviewers seemed to be writing down the questions they were going to ask on brown envelopes.
Do you think teamwork is important?
In my answer to this question I basically described the porters all the way up to the consultants (I mentioned consultant surgeons) where they began their next question. It is possible to "make" your next question.
How long do you think it takes to become a constultant surgeon?
What do consultants do?
What are the advantages of working long hours and what would you say are the disadvantages?
How would you cope with the emotional side of medicine?
This question seems to get asked a lot although maybe not in the same words. I talked about a drug overdose I saw in A&E and how it shocked me. They asked why I found it disturbing and if I would get used to it.
Was there anything you saw during your experience that put you off becoming a doctor?
What would you do if a fellow member of staff made a mistake that cost a life?
At the time of my interview, the recent headlines were about the doctor who had been responisble for the deaths of 30 people but no-one had reported him because he had been moving around hospitals every year. So you should make sure you are up to date on all medical news.
What if that person made more mistakes?
How do patients get out of hospital after surgery for example?
This first part of my interview was done by the first two interviewers. The third interviewer asked me about things in my UCAS statement - easy enough questions basically discussing my interests and how I keep healthy. However, his last question was very strange. In my personal statement I wrote that I enjoy using computers and he asked me "There is a lot of controversy about whether or not computers are good for a healthy mind". I simply said that they take my mind of schoolwork - I honestly didn't know what to say.
Here are some other questions that Bernadette was faced with:
How long does it take to become a GP?
Again this kind of question has arisen, in my case it being a consultant surgeon.
Do you think that the training is too long?
What else do consultants do in the hospital?
Again a consultant question.
Do you think that consultants should have a say in the general management of the hospital?
Do you think teamwork is important?
Who is involved in teamwork with GPs?
Teamwork again.
What is the role of a GP?
You should definitely make sure you know the roles of all the medical staff.
How would you cope with the emotional side of medicine?
Deja vu!
What do you understand by medicine being a vocation?
Is it as much as a vocation now as it was in the past?
What do you think when you see the bad press in the newspapers about the NHS?
In this case Bernadette said that most of it was all hype.
Bernadette wrote, and I agree: As you can see there are a lot of questions and they ask them very fast. You will have very little time to really think about what is coming next. I felt that I had been given a bit of a grilling. But it wasn't unfair or anything though. What I would suggest is that you really read through your UCAS form to see if there is anything that they could pick you up on.
I also have to say that experience is absolutely essential. I would say I talked about 50% of the time away using what I saw on my experience not to mention the fact that most of the questions asked require experience to have been undertaken in the first place.
GLASGOW
Now we have some questions that Ruth collected after a Glasgow interview:
Why have you chosen to study medicine?
When did you decide to study medicine?
The usual starters. Be ready for them.
Are there other careers you considered besides
medicine?
Have you spoken to your GP about medicine? What did
they say?
My GP actually tried to talk me out of doing medicine! But he is one of the doctors who say that the new ways are easier and the courses aren't as good as they used to be...
What experience have you had of a medical career?
What was the most important aspect of your
experience?
'Seeing good-looking doctors' would not be a good response.
Tell us the most interesting thing you have seen
during this experience?
Have you planned any more work-experience days?
Are you aware of what "problem based learning" is?
How did you research the course here at Glasgow?
What is your experience of problem based learning?
What are good skills for group-work?
Bringing in a big bag of Jelly Babies sounds good.
What makes a good listener?
What makes a good communicator?
Someone in your group is not pulling their weight.
How would you deal with them? Could you confront them
on the issue, and what would you say?
In your experience are you a leader or a follower?
I would say that the last eight questions would apply only to Glasgow (or a RAF interview regarding the last few)
What are the qualities needed by a doctor in order
of importance?
Scary - but the Dundee University pamphlet on medicine has a good answer to this.
What is the difference between a doctor and a nurse?
Who is the most important person in deciding
treatment out of the medical team?
If you disagreed with a colleague's decision on
treatment how would you approach them?
What is your view on euthanasia/abortion?
I would say that you are almost guaranteed to get a question on a medical issue.
Physical or mental handicap – which is worse?
I can't believe they asked this one.
What is wrong with the NHS?
Tony Blair?
There's not enough money to treat everyone – who
gets priority?
Should smokers be treated on the NHS?
I know a cardiologist who smokes like a chimney.
How would you deal with patients who wanted
treatment you did not agree with?
How would you deal with rude patients?
You ever seen the film 'Misery'
If you were treating someone you could not help
any further what would you do?
The patient does not agree with your choice of
treatment. What do you do?
Have you thought on an area of speciality? Why?
Do you know anyone who is medical
student/doctor/nurse…..?
Why have you chosen to study at Glasgow
University?
Why have you chosen the city of Glasgow?
This question could apply to any university. I prepared a reponse for every university. I researched into the areas' main attractions etc.
Why would we want you as a student over any of the
other applicants?
Are there other universities you have seriously
considered to study at?
Do you have any leisure pursuits that would help
in medicine?
Will you have to give up any of your interests to
study medicine?
Catrina has e-mailed me questions she was asked at various universities:
Her interviews included the usual starters and some new questions you should consider.
What do you know about this university?
What do you know about the course?
They go into a lot of detail about this.
What do you know about research that goes on at this university?
Be prepared for anything
If you get accepted to all your choices which one would you choose and why?
What will you do if you don't get into medicine?
Don't tell them that you already have a place I did and they weren't very impressed
And the famous: Do you have any questions?
Try to think of something interesting to ask them don't just say why should I come to your university like Catrina did at her Dundee interview. Needless to say she didn't get a place
I hope that these questions will help the new fifth years that will be attending interviews this year.
If anyone has questions that they were asked at an interview that are not shown in this package please e-mail me them to me and I will post them and then hopefully all the possible scenarios and questions will be displayed for the next geberation of interviewees.
Damien :evil