How to Tackle University-Specific Medical Interview Questions
👋 Hey Team! Welcome to the fourth addition to our blog:
In this week’s deep-dive, we go over what to research about medical schools, why it’s important and how you can do so. And since we’re trying to give our Medterview subscribers an even greater edge, we’ve put a cheat sheet for some medical schools below! Scroll until the end to have a read.
“I swear I didn’t apply to every medical school in Australia..!”
Imagine you’re the Admissions Officer at a medical school here in Australia. You spend time interviewing a candidate who seems like a great fit for your course and has the marks to get in, so you send them a 1st round offer. The interview is going great, and you decide to ask why it is they’ve applied to your school.
“Er…I like your 4th year research program?”
“We don’t have a research program.”
Interview = Over
To detect this, many panel interviews will involve some form of this question: “Why do you want to study at our university?”. This is especially important for interstate and international applicants, who would be taking a bigger leap to enter that medical school. So how you can prepare?
First, do your research into the university, its location and its medical course.
What perks does the university and its location have for you?
If the location is far away / interstate, why are you still interested and applying?
What is the structure of this university’s medical degree?
What is unique about their medical school? What do they offer that other medical schools don’t?
Why do you think this medical degree structure will fit well with your learning and help you become a well-rounded doctor?
Much of this information can be found on the university’s website (they sure love to flex). You then need to craft a response about why you are interested about this medical school in particular.
What are some key interview pointers for each Medical school?
University of Queensland
Postgraduate degree: can spend first 3 years exploring interests in health sciences. Can broaden horizons and have greater understanding before undertaking clinical placements
Early exposure to clinical training: 4 week Observorship in Week 1
Case-Based Learning with small groups: can get more independence and problem solving skills, early patient contact and practice with clinical reasoning
Opportunities for rural/remote health and placements in partner clinical schools overseas: widen horizons and get a greater understanding of different cultures and attitudes to health
University of Adelaide
Small group Case-Based Learning: early experience with most common and significant diseases
State of the art clinical facility
Extensive hands-on practice at Royal Adelaide Hospital
Year 6 focused on clinical practice and professional development rather than exam pressure: wider worldview
4 week training in local or overseas based hospital before graduating
University of New South Wales
Research: Independent Learning Project and elective in Phase 3. Can contribute to future of medical industry, can apply research first-hand
Scenario based learning: develop problem solving skills
Parallel learning: 1st and 2nd years learn simultaneously, fosters mentorship and learning/teaching culture. Also improves communication and teamwork skills
Western Sydney University
Only 5 year undergraduate course
Brand new clinical schools and campus bases
Clinical learning from first weeks and learning from real patients
Full-time clinical and community placements including in Aboriginal Medical services
Joint Medical Program (University of Newcastle & New England)
Only 5 year undergraduate course
Joint program: greater range of tutors and facilities, can learn from doctors with a variety of metropolitan/rural backgrounds - holistic approach of medical needs
Self-directed and problem-based learning. Small groups so can learn by experience and reflect doctor-patient relationship
Student Selected Pathway - can learn about Aboriginal/Rural/global health
Curtin University
Here, I’ll put in paragraph form what your answer could sound like:
“Curtin University offers a strong emphasis on primary care - the university focuses on making students the best all-round doctors possible with the opportunity to improve interpersonal skills and set me up well for rural/remote placements and professions, which would go a long way in addressing health inequality by increasing access to care, which is something I am very passionate about.
The course and lesson structure is also appealing. More time is spent focusing on case scenarios and clinical skills sessions, as I believe application is more important than textbook knowledge. This gives me the opportunity to develop problem solving skills with real-world problems and become confident in my clinical and communication skills to help patients as best as possible. Also, 5 year direct course so can focus more on medicine, instead of perhaps other health science knowledge which is less applicable/useful for life as a doctor. Therefore, even though entering Curtin would be a big geographical move for me, I am excited about the education that this medical school can provide and would be very willing to become a student if given the opportunity.”
Want targeted advice like this and more?
Overall Tips
You don’t need to spend too much time on this, but this question is an opportunity to impress your interviewers with your preparation. Like we’ve put above, prepare a few points unique to each medical school and explain why this excites you and how you would benefit from their course.
Now, you may have noticed that some of our notes above seem contradictory. For undergraduate courses we talk about how the short course would be beneficial to jump straight into clinical applications, while postgraduate courses offer the opportunity to become a more well-rounded student. Say the points that the interviewer from each unique university would want to hear! And even if this university is your last choice, and you have little interest in actually joining, don’t let that show.
Bonus points if you can link some points to your personal interests and motivations for medicine. For example, UNSW offers a parallel learning structure where 1st and 2nd year students learn together - this fosters communication skills and a culture of teaching and learning from peers, which aligns with one of my motivations for Medicine, which is the opportunity for lifelong learning and teaching and guiding the next generation of doctors. Or, Western Sydney University offers opportunity to learn about Aboriginal healthcare through community placements - this aligns with my passion for equitable healthcare and I would be excited to apply my learning into practice as a doctor who promotes health equality.
Finally, prepare an answer to the question: “How would you cope with moving away to join our university?”, especially for interstate and international applicants. For this one, we recommend acknowledging the difficulties of moving for university, talking about your coping strategies and your resilience, then conclude with your excitement for joining this university regardless.
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📚 This Week’s Homework:
Here is a short list of questions which have been asked in previous interviews. We’ve curated this list to stimulate your thinking about different medical schools
UNSW has bonded medical places (BMPs) which will mean you will have to do 2 years in a rural area after graduation as part of your contract. What interests you about rural medicine?
What interests you about the problem based learning we offer at our university? (JMP, Adelaide, UQ, UNSW)
Stay tuned for our next issue!
❓We’ll introduce a mini Q&A section, so send in your questions to medterview@gmail.com.
And if this has helped you, our 1-on-1 Mentoring can tackle your preparation in a tailored, personal fashion to craft your anecdotes and improve your delivery. Receive your FREE consultation session using the button below!
