The University of St Andrews combines a students passion for learning with the skills of time-management and adaptability.
From day-one, students are expected to be in the dissection lab, for full body dissection gaining hands-on experience with principles that where previously taught in the lecture theatre.
Continual feedback from mentors, staff and tutors provided at the university provides an additional layer of accountability for medical students, indicating the level of support that the university provides.
St. Andrews University Interview Questions
😊How does St. Andrews select candidates for interviews?
St. Andrews selects its students by assessing the following three aspects:
A strong academic record: A standard requiement would be AAA for A-levels and the minimum requirements in AAB.
A positive reference and personal statement
Clinical experience.
Once these requirements are met, the students are then ranked according to their UKCAT scores. After which the interview invites are sent out
🧬What is the interview format?
The interview format for st. Andrews is an MMI that consists of six mini interviews lasting six minutes each.
You will be assessed in the following areas:
Your interests towards medicine.
Your dedication towards caring for patients and being compassionate
Your team working abilities
Your Critical thinking abilities.
Your ability to discuss an ethical issue.
📆When will you get interview invitations?
You will get your interview invites between November to March
👩💼When are the interviews usually held?
The Interviews are usually held in January, February and early March.
📝What are the main topics I will be asked at the interview?
These are the main topics that will be asked about:
Reasoning for choosing medicine as a career
the skills you possess to prove that you will be a good candidate to be a part of the healthcare system
Your commitment towards helping others and improving their quality of care.
How good of a team worker you are.
Your knowledge surrounding topics such as research programmes and government policies on healthcare.
☑️How will my interview be marked?
The interviews usually do not have a right or wrong answer. You are assessed based on your ability to be compassionate, caring and ethical.
🏠How many applicants are there per interview (Home)?
45% of the students who apply get accepted for an interview.
🌎How many applicants are there per interview (International)
38.5% of the students who apply get accepted for an interview
✨How likely is it that I will be given an offer after an interview?
Home: 12.8% of the students are offered a place.
International: 12.1% of the students are offered a place.
Check the University of St Andrews website, as the university has a unique curriculum that differs from most other universities.
Additionally, spend time going over your personal statement, and get comfortable with answering questions about your situational judgement and work experience.
Keep upto date with a few current events within the medical field as this is another important area that may come up throughout the interview.
There are certain features of each medical school in the UK which help it stand out from the rest so think about the motivation to become part of St Andrews medical school.
St. Andrews interview questions
🔥 Motivation Interview Questions
What motivated you to specifically apply to the University of St Andrews?
What does the daily routine of a doctor look like?
Did you see any particularly difficult scenarios of patient-doctor interactions during your time at...?
What are the benefits of working in a medical environment? How would you be well suited to this?
How would you cope with a high stress/demanding environment?
⚖️Medical Ethics Interview Questions
Can private filming of patients be justified if the hospital felt the patient was being abused?
🏥 Work Experience Interview Questions
What experience have you had that you believe will aid you into becoming a successful medical student?
📰Current Affairs Interview Questions
What is an interesting thing that you have read recently in the news about advancements in medical research?
🏨 Teamwork Interview Questions
Give an example of a time where you worked on a team, and how you believe that this translates into the medical field?
🕵️♀️Problem solving
Give an example of a time that you had to face adversity. How did you overcome the problem at hand?
Reading a short article on a medically related topic (for example nicotine, vaccination, osteoporosis) and be asked questions, or explain to a patient about this medical topic.
Helping a person pack their holiday luggage
🎭 Roleplay Interview Questions
Breaking bad news to a patient or friend
Convincing a patient to take their prescription medicine to help their condition, when they are reluctant to do so – The key here is not to successfully persuade them to take their medication, but instead to explore why they do not wish to take their medication.
🤯Values and Skills Interview Questions
What are the benefits of working in a medical environment? How would you be well suited to this?
How would you cope with a high stress/demanding environment?
St. Andrews University provides dissection lessons that systemically follow anatomy lectures to allow consolidation of knowledge. The dissection lab is open for students to come and revise with prosection. Placements and patient partner sessions are in place to ensure students are equipped with professional communication and clinical skills. There is also a dissertation module in 3rd year to instil to research experience and skills, an important factor that makes for a great doctor. Finally, automatic progression to partner schools means you get to enjoy university life at 2 different universities – what could be better than that?
While there is no actual campuses, St. Andrews is a rather small town, so you can reach your destinations in 5-30 mins on foot depending on where you live. The medical school is located within walking distance, with the closest hall 5-minute walk away from it; and there are university libraries around town centre and the science buildings, so nothing is ever too far away. There are a wide range of societies and subcommittees to get involved in, e.g. Surgical Society, Bute MedSoc , sports clubs and many more – you are always welcome to start a new society! To help new students transition into university life, the Med School offers Peer-Assisted Learning Scheme that involves 2nd and 3rd-year volunteers to guide them into the modules.
Within St Andrews, due to it's small size and close proximity to one another, the students, no matter their degree, connect with one another within and outside of the lecture hall. Various facilities available, such as the athletic teams and fitness suites also allow for students to form connections with individuals that they otherwise may not get to meet. There is a strong tradition of hosting various ball's within the school's culture, allowing for all to celebrate constantly throughout the school year. The Bute Medical Society also does an amazing job at hosting events catering to the medical students throughout the school year, especially for first year medical students, to allow them to feel integrated into the university.
The Bute Medical Society (BMS) plays an integral role in many medical students social experience at the University of St Andrews. From hosting first year's "Hecklings" to various socials, research talks, pub quizzes, and balls, the society combines both education and fun throughout the year.
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