Making the Most of the Gap
- Aiden Nip
- Sep 16
- 4 min read
You’ve finished the UCAT. Congratulations! 🎉 For months you’ve been practising questions, managing timers, and memorising strategies. Sitting the UCAT is a huge milestone in your medical school application journey. But what happens next?
For many students, there’s a strange “quiet gap” between the end of UCAT season (usually July–October) and the start of interview season (typically December to March). This can feel like a strange limbo. On one hand, you no longer have the daily grind of UCAT prep. On the other, interviews still feel a while away. Some applicants don’t use this time effectively, but that’s a mistake - this gap can actually be one of the most valuable windows in your preparation.
Here’s how to make the most of this period whilst balancing productivity, reflection, and self-care so you’re fully ready when interview invitations arrive. 🚀
1. Reflect on Your UCAT Performance 🧠📊
First, take a deep breath. You did it. Regardless of your score, you should be proud of getting through a very tough assessment. Now, take a moment to reflect:
🎉 Celebrate what went well. Maybe you smashed Situational Judgement or found Decision Making easier than expected. Recognise these wins.
📖 Learn from struggles. Did you find Verbal Reasoning brutal? Or did nerves get the better of you? Don’t dwell, but jot down lessons for the future (it may even come up at interviews when asked about resilience).
🤺 Be strategic. Your UCAT score will now shape where you apply. For example, some universities weigh UCAT heavily, while others use it as just one factor. Research carefully and match your strengths to the schools where you stand the best chance.
Think of this as “application triage”: using your UCAT to guide your choices intelligently rather than emotionally.
2. Perfect Your Personal Statement ✍️📄
With UCAT out of the way, you have mental space to focus on the next big written task: your personal statement.
📶 Refine your structure. Make sure each paragraph has a clear purpose: motivation, work experience, wider reading, extracurriculars, and conclusion.
✂️ Cut clichés. Admissions tutors have read “I have always wanted to be a doctor” thousands of times. Instead, show motivation through personal examples and reflections.
📰 Proofread ruthlessly. A single typo may not ruin your application, but a polished statement demonstrates attention to detail which is a key quality in medicine.
💡 Tip: Read your statement out loud. If it sounds awkward, it will read awkwardly. Polishing these final details now means one less stress later.
If you want a second pair of eyes, ask the people around you to read it and give you advice. You can also book a personal statement review with one of our expert tutors.
Read and Stay Curious 📚📰
One of the best ways to prepare for interviews is to broaden your knowledge. Admissions tutors love students who show curiosity about healthcare.
📻 Follow NHS and healthcare news. Subscribe to BBC Health or BMJ Student to stay informed about current challenges. Ethical debates like “Should junior doctors strike?” or “Is AI the future of medicine?” often come up in interviews.
📚 Read medical books. Accessible titles like This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay or When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi give human perspectives on the realities of medicine.
👂 Listen to podcasts. Shows like The BMJ Podcast or Surgery 101 are easy to slot into commutes and give you discussion points for interviews.
Think of this as “feeding your medical curiosity” not memorising facts, but developing awareness. 🌍 Boost your healthcare knowledge even further by enrolling on our FREE online work experience.
Start Light Interview Prep 🎤🩺
While interviews may still feel far away, it’s smart to start gently now.
🧠 Know the formats. Many UK universities use MMIs (Multiple Mini Interviews), but some still have traditional panel interviews. Look up your chosen schools’ formats.
🗣️ Practice common questions. Try answering aloud:
“Why medicine?”
“What makes a good doctor?”
“Tell me about a challenge you’ve faced.”
🧝 Roleplay scenarios. Grab a friend or family member and practice ethical scenarios like “Should parents be able to refuse treatment for their child?”
The aim at this stage isn’t perfection, it’s familiarity. By starting early, you’ll avoid a last-minute panic when your first interview invite arrives.
Try our AI interview prep platform to practice and get detailed feedback whenever you want.
Prioritise Self-Care and Rest 😴🌱
Let’s be honest: you’ve worked incredibly hard to get through the UCAT. Burnout is common at this stage, especially if you’ve been balancing revision with A-levels, volunteering, and extracurriculars. In this period, where you have less going on, it's important to stay relaxed so you can focus for when it may get stressful again in the future.
🧱 Rebuild routines. Get your sleep back on track. Aim for 7 to 9 hours, you’ll be sharper when interview prep begins.
🏃 Move your body. Even a short daily walk or workout boosts mental health and reduces stress.
🎾 Reconnect with hobbies. Whether it’s football, art, or Netflix, doing things unrelated to medicine helps you stay balanced.
👥 Stay social. Don’t isolate yourself. Friends and family can keep you grounded when the pressure mounts.
💡 Remember: admissions tutors are looking for well-rounded, resilient candidates. Looking after yourself is part of becoming a good doctor.
Final Thoughts
The gap between UCAT and interviews can feel like downtime, but it’s actually a golden opportunity. By reflecting on your UCAT, refining your personal statement, deepening your experiences, reading widely, and starting gentle interview prep, all while looking after your wellbeing, you’ll step into interview season confident, refreshed, and ready to shine.
Think of it this way: the UCAT tested your speed, but interviews will test your character. Use this window to prepare for both, and remember, balance is the secret weapon of every future medic. ⚖️💙
Watch our virtual work experience presentation from superstar Dr Hanlie Du Plessis. Don't forget to reflect afterwards!
