About Swansea Medical School (2023 Edition)
Swansea has a unique course which offers case-based learning with early clinical contact.
They offer clinical skills within the first few weeks of learning, and 5 weeks of clinical placement in the second term. The course emphasises on LOCS in hospital and GP placements.
There is a vast variety of anatomy models to work with alongside body prosections. The University supports students with all matter of needs, including physical and mental health.
Swansea University Interview Information
😊 How does Swansea University select candidates for interviews?
The Swansea University medical degree is Graduate-entry only. A-Level results are NOT taken into account.
A C in Maths and English/Welsh GCSE is required, as well as at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree, a merit in an integrated master’s degree, or a 2:2 undergraduate degree AND pass in a postgraduate degree. The degree subject does NOT MATTER!
A GAMSAT or MCAT (international students) admission test is required, and scores are used to rank your application… the highest scores will receive an interview offer (minimum GAMSAT score = 50).
🧬 What is the interview format?
The first part is a 30-minute written situational judgement assessment, which tests your judgement and decision-making skills.This does not assess your academic ability. The second part entails two 20-minute panel interviews with two interviewers each. They will discuss your personal statement and other aspects of medicine (see details below).
📆 When will you get interview invitations?
December
👩💼 When are the interviews usually held?
Spring time, so between March – May every year.
📝 What are the main topics I will be asked at the interview?
In terms of communication, you need examples of how you communicate with different people, break bad news, and use written communication. In terms of coping with pressure, you need examples of how to cope with pressure while maintaining (patient) safety, and how you look after your own mental health. In terms of problem solving, demonstrate how you process complex information, with examples. In terms of insight and integrity, you need to show how you would react to something going wrong, and how you can learn from mistakes. The interviewers also want to know about your drive to become a doctor.
☑️ How will my interview be marked?
Swansea University assesses the overall performance of each candidate, and the highest ranking applicants will receive offers.
🏠How many applicants are there per interview (Home)?
Around 1 interview to every 3 applicants.
🌎 How many applicants are there per interview (International)?
It is unknown, but certainly 1 interview to AT LEAST every 3 applicants.
✨How likely is it that I will be given an offer after an interview?
Swansea University Medical School interviewed 333 candidates in 2019/2020, and gave out 136 offers. So 1 in 2.4 people interviewed received an offer. That equates to a 42% chance of getting an offer after the interview!
The Swansea website states the indicators it looks for, try and come up with scenarios and questions you will be asked under these categories.
Practice interview style questions with a friend or teacher, it is really vital as it is a panel based interview.
Swansea states that your personal statement will be ‘considered and discussed’.
It’s very important you go through your personal statement again before your interview to remind yourself of it.
Read GMC ‘Good Medical Practice’ and ‘Outcomes for Graduates’ before your interview since the interview is based around the qualities stated in these.
Check out our Medicine Interview Course!
Example Interview Questions
🔥 Motivation Interview Questions
What do you know about Case Based Learning?
Why Medicine?
What kind of doctor do you want to be?
What made you want to be a doctor?
A lot of the points that you've brought up are also found in nursing, have you also considered this as a career?
If your application was unsuccessful, what would you do?
What is your biggest mistake?
⚖️Medical Ethics Interview Questions
What are the ethical considerations surrounding a patient requesting serial pregnancy terminations?
What do you do if a 14-year-old girl asks you to prescribe the contraceptive pill?
What is your view on medically-assisted euthanasia?
How would you approach a colleague at work who comes in smelling of alcohol?
🤯Values and Skills Interview Questions
Describe a personal setback you have experienced, and what you have learnt from it.
What approach would you take to speak to a patient about the risks of smoking?
How do you communicate appropriately with people from different walks of life?
How would you tell someone something life-changing?
What are the key attributes which make a good doctor?
How would you cope with balancing conflicting pressures without compromising patient safety?
Being a doctor is stressful. How would you make sure that you look after your own wellbeing?
How would you react if something had gone wrong with a patient?
📰 NHS Interview Questions
What do you think could have been handled differently by NHS staff or governing bodies during the first wave of COVID-19?
What do you know about screening tests? Why shouldn't everybody be entitled to screening?
What do you know about giving consent for organ donation in the UK?
How can we assess the capacity of a child to give consent?
🏨 Teamwork Interview Questions
Give an example of a time you’ve worked in a team and what did you learn from this?
I see you are captain of a team. What duties does that involve?
How do you feel about sharing work with others?
Who might be involved in a multi-disciplinary team when making a decision about a patient's care?
🎭 Roleplay Interview Questions
Tell your friend that you can’t come to her 18th birthday party.
A fellow medical student who is doing ward rounds with you often shows up to these sessions tired, messy, hungover, or even drunk. How would you talk to him?
You’ve been looking after your neighbour’s cat while they have been away for a week but yesterday you found the cat dead on your driveway. Break this news to them.
You are a surgeon and must inform a patient that some nerve damage occurred during hip replacement surgery, meaning they no longer have full use of their leg.
🏥 Work Experience Interview Questions
Give an example when you have been inspired by something or someone, and why?
Describe your knowledge of the challenges of doing Medicine.
Describe something you have come across in your work experience that may have evoked strong emotion/inspiration.
Swansea's case based learning links the clinical case with anatomy, and clinical skills sessions during each week. Rather than sticking to one system, knowledge is built slowly over time through each case, as would happen in the hospital setting. The vast majority of lecturers are either currently practicing, or retired, clinicians or medical staff. With the hospital and GP placements, there is opportunity to see cases you've learnt early in the setting fairly quickly. Being one of only 2 med schools in Wales, there are a lot of opportunities to do things like national conferences, and Welsh-based research.
Swansea is a beautiful sea side city, with great places to explore such as cliffs, waterfalls, forests and every terrain you could want. There are many beaches for water sports, and seaside towns a short walk away. In Uplands where students mainly lodge, there are many bars and restaurants just like in the town centre. The medical school is also opposite the beach, with many cafes and the hospital right next door to practice clinical skills and to work in the hospital library. Within the medical school, being relatively small, there is a thriving tight-knight community atmosphere. Anatomy Suites and Clinical Skills Simulation Laboratories are present on the Singleton Campus. The library is fully equipped with resources to support medical education.
Swansea has lots of societies and sports to choose from, especially with so many facilities around the city it gives so many options. These are hosted across the city, and it means that there are plenty of options for your preferences. Personally, I used to do cheerleading and now do some pole sports. Alongside taking trips to the beach for some surfs and SUPing! There’s something for everyone. Boozy nights out, quiet bars and restaurants, trips to Snowdonia, conferences, medic sport teams, teaching evenings, fundraising, revision sessions and formal balls with the whole faculty. The University is located on some of the UK's most beautiful coastlines (the Bay campus even has its own private beach!).
Swansea has a MedSoc which organises lots of different events. They introduce everyone at the start to your cohort, and then throughout the year organise events at bars, and balls. There is no pressure, it's great to just enjoy time with the cohort.
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