Glasgow University Medicine Interview Questions (2023 entry)
About Glasgow Medical School (2023 Edition)
The University of Glasgow is innovative, lively and friendly.
The campus is made up of beautiful Harry Potter-esque architecture as well as new state of the art buildings filled with the latest technology.
The course involves lectures which complement PBL learning alongside placements for early practical exposure. The clinical aspect of the course is mainly based in surrounding hospitals including the Queen Elizabeth University hospital which is one of the largest hospitals in Europe.
Glasgow University Interview Information
🔍 How does Glasgow University select candidates for interviews?
GCSEs/ A-levels/ Highers: Applicants must have GCSE English and biology at Grade 6/B. Glasgow university requires A-levels in chemistry and biology or physics or mathematics. These exams must result in AAA. Theses however are not used in short listing applicants, instead just set as a minimum requirement. For those sitting SQA examinations, you are required to have national 5 English at grade B. Furthermore you are expected to achieve AAAAA in higher sat in S5 these must include chemistry, biology and physics or maths. Furthermore conditions of achieve BB at advanced higher are given.
Personal statement: Glasgow university require a personal statement from each applicant. Your personal statement is an opportunity for you to emphasise why you should get an interview. Your personal statement is used in the screening process of application. However only has to be “satisfactory”
UCAT: All applicants have to sit the UCAT. Glasgow university sets cut off scores for the UCAT, under which they won’t accept applications. For Scottish applicants the cut off is 2690 and for the rest of the UK it is set at 2830. There is no cut off score for the SJT. It’s important to bear this in mind when deciding where to apply. The UCAT is one of the most influencing factors on wether applications are successful or not.
Glasgow university collate all the various aspects of the application process; your personal statement, academic results, UCAT and your reference. This is then used in the screening process to narrow down applications and give out interview invitations.
🧬 What is the interview format?
Glasgow university uses traditional panel interviews. For now, interviews are being conducted online via zoom. The interview lasts around 30 minutes. There are two separate interviewers. Panel A discusses your motivation to study medicine and your knowledge of the role as a doctor. Panel B questions your skills and qualities that make you suitable to be a doctor. Panel B also involves an ethical situation, you are giving allocated time to read two scenarios and then decide which one to discuss.
📆 When will you get interview invitations?
Usually Glasgow send out invitations between November and February. You will be sent an invitation to interview via UCAS track and email therefore it is important to keep a look out in your emails for this, including junk mail. Due to the large number of applicants to interview in a short period of time, interviews are not able to be rescheduled. If you do not attend interview you will be considered further.
👩💼 When are the interviews usually held?
Interviews usually take place in December for home and EU applicants or between December and February for non-EU applicants.
📝 What are the main topics I will be asked at the interview?
Panel 1 focuses on being a doctor and what this means.
Panel 2 focuses on your skills and qualities and will contain an ethical scenario.
Motivation to study medicine
Future plans
Medical ethics
NHS hot topics
☑️ How will my interview be marked?
Both panels are scored and the results are combined. Then those who qualify will be given offers.
🏠 How many applicants are there per interview? (Home)
2.2 home applicants per interview.
🌎 How many applicants are there per interview? (International)
3.3 international applicants per interview
✨ How likely is it that I will be given an offer after an interview?
Scottish students: Out of the 494 interviewees, 348 applicants were successful in receiving an offer. This is 70% of those who were interviewed.
Rest of the UK: Those from within the rest of the UK , 244 interviews were conducted and 111 received offers. 46% of applicants interviewed received an offer.
International: Out of all interviews, 161 were for international students. 65 international students were given an offer. 40% of applicants received an offer after interview.
Prepare: Know the university course insight and out and be able to tell them the structure and specifically what you like about it.
Know about the hospitals you will be sent to on placements aswell.
Keep calm and arrive on time- the interview is sometimes based in a hospital so it may take you some time to find the location etc.
Read GMC good medical practice and know the medical ethics pillars.
Know your personal statement well and have examples ready of times when you worked in a team etc.
Remember to talk about the ethical pillars of medicine in your interview, particularly the ethical scenarios in the second part of the interview.
Think of examples of your achievements and skills
Consider your personal characteristics
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Example interview questions
🔥 Motivation Interview Questions
Why do you want to study medicine?
Why do you want to attend the University of Glasgow?
Tell us about the course at this university.
The MBChB programme is organised into 4 phases, explain each.
Why problem-based learning?
Why this area of Scotland?
🤯 Values and Skills Interview Questions
How are you suited to being a doctor?
What are your personal strengths?
What hobbies do you have outside of your studies?
Tell us about your hobbies and/or charity work
Tell us about a time that you worked as part of a team.
How would your colleagues/peers describe you?
What are the key qualities necessary to be a doctor?
What makes a good doctor?
📰 NHS Interview Questions
Describe the training pathway for doctors
💉 Science/Medical Based Interview Questions
Evidence of interest in medicine (current topical issues)
Latest medical issue and how it will affect your practice.
What are the health issues Glasgow is facing compared to other areas?
Why does Glasgow have such high rates of heart disease?
🏥 Work Experience Interview Questions
What was the most important thing you’ve learned about Medicine during past work experience and why?
Tell us about your experience of hospital attachment
Tell me about your voluntary work experience
❤️ Medical Ethics Interview Questions
Talk about the ethics surrounding organ donation
Clinical exposure from week one as well as weekly full body dissection sessions allows you to see how the lecture content can be applied to real life situations. Throughout the course you get opportunities to choose what you learn during SSCs. There is also opportunity to undertake an intercalated degree. Glasgow is also unique in offering two electives to explore healthcare abroad. Small group teaching allows you to get to know your peers really well and one-to-one opportunity with tutors. During placements you also experience hospital accommodation which allows you to become fully immersed in that environment.
Since the medical course is taught on the main campus, medical students have a great opportunity to join any university society of which there is over 300. There is always festivals or fairs on throughout the city of Glasgow, the university is based around 15 minutes away from the city centre. The University of Glasgow also has two student unions which have events going on all the time. Aswell as the main university societies, there are medical societies for every sport and speciality. There is also medical societies for racial and LGBTQ+ representation. The MedChir society at the University of Glasgow puts on events throughout the year for medics to mingle through balls, pub crawls and quizzes
The social life at the University of Glasgow is rife. Medical students benefit from being able to join medical and non-medical societies aswell as use all the facilities including the two student unions. There are also events throughout the year organised by the two unions, 300 societies and the medchir society. The University has its own nightclub, HIVE, which has themed nights every week. There is also many events available for the non- party goers. Medics can join the main university sport teams or the medical sport teams. The brand new James McCune Smith Learning hub is a massive space with restaurants, cafes and study spaces that has just been built across the road from the medical building.
The MedChir society hosts social events throughout the year. These include quizzes, pub crawls (scrub crawl), Christmas balls, year balls, the halfway ball and many other events. The society also allocates new first years to a medfamily to allow the first year to settle in. There is a year club for every year which is a subset of MedChir and organises specific social events for the year. They also organise book clubs, other media discussions and have their own podcast. MedChir also organise talks by clinicians to give us an insight into different medical career options aswell. There are many medical societies at the University covering a range of specialties, sports and other categories. There are medical societies present which aim to increase awareness for LGBTQ+ patients and racial inequalities.
https://www.glasgowstudent.net/clubs/
To see what MedChir gets up to you can visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MedChirGlasgow/
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