Aston Medicine Interview
2023 Aston Medicine Interviews - MMI
Format
The Aston medical school interview is a multiple mini interview (MMI) comprised of between 7-10 stations each lasting between 6-8 minutes in length. The MMI will take place on Microsoft Teams for 2023 entry.
Dates
Interviews will take place from December 2022 to March 2023. Offers will usually be sent out up until May. Offers will be based on combined Academic, UCAT and MMI score.
Questions
Questions will focus on your understanding of teamwork and a career in medicine as well as your ability to demonstrate compassion, empathy and respect. Problem solving skills will also be tested.
What Interview Questions to Expect
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Communication
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Problem Solving
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Motivation
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Teamwork
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Empathy
Examiners will assess you on your ability to demonstrate verbal and non verbal communication skills. You will be asked about the importance of communication as a medical student or doctor.
You will be assessed on your ability to think on the spot and solve problems. Aston want to test your ability to show initiative and solve a problem in a safe and responsible way. You may be given a role play and need to assess and respond to an acute situation. The examiner will assess how you approach the situation and what actions you take. You may also be asked about the importance of problem solving in the field of medicine.
You will need to demonstrate your commitment and motivation to study medicine. You will be asked about your personal experiences and work experiences. Your insights and how you have reflected on your work experience will be looked at. It is important to be able to show your genuine enthusiasm and passion for a career in medicine to the examiners as they want to be able to find those students who are truly passionate about the field.
The interviewer will assess your ability to work in a team. They will look at your past teamwork experience as well as your understanding of the importance of teamwork in a medical setting to help judge your suitability to study medicine. It is important to be able to give examples of teamwork as a doctor such as in MDT.
The interviewer will look to assess your ability to demonstrate empathy in situations. They will judge how you show empathy and compassion through role play stations where you must utilise your verbal and non verbal communication skills to demonstrate these kills. You will also be asked about the importance of having empathy as a doctor and how it is utilised in practise.
Aston's Scoring System
The scoring system for attaining a conditional offer at Aston involves a combination of GCSE grades, UCAT score and MMI score. The weighting of the different scores has not been disclosed. The MMI score is out of a total of 80, and the assessors for the MMI will be Aston Clinical Teaching Staff.
SJT banding is not scored but may be used to differentiate borderline candidates.
How to answer "Why do you want to study Medicine at Aston University?" in an interview
To give a concise and comprehensive answer to this question at your interview, there are three essential elements your answer needs to have :
1. Specific knowledge about the school, programme, place
2. Why the elements you mentioned are attractive to you
3. Evidence that you have made an effort to research the school and programme
Point 2 and 3 above are essential to deliver a strong answer that is personal to you. In this section, we will help you brainstorm point 1 to help you get started in preparing your answer.
What is unique about the course at Aston?
Aston University’s course structure is made up of two phases. Phase 1 consists of years 1 and 2 - the majority of these two years is spent on campus in lectures and doing group work in order to learn the fundamental knowledge needed to practise as a doctor. Phase 2 is years 3,4 and 5, and is predominantly spent on different clinical placements at hospitals in the West Midlands area. During phase 2 you will develop the clinical knowledge and skills needed to practise as a doctor.
What is unique about Aston and its Medical School?
Aston university is located in the centre of Birmingham, a vibrant, exciting city where there is an abundance of things to experience. There is no shortage of activities to enjoy in Birmingham, from cricket nets to football pitches - there is something for everyone. The staff at Aston care immensely about the mental health of their students and offer pastoral support wherever it is needed. Every student receives a personal tutor to support them, and there are societies available to join for a variety of interests.
Why else would people choose Aston Medical School?
Aston Medical School in Birmingham is a new medical school, and by joining you will be able to directly help shape the course with your own suggestions and ideas to improve it and make it more enjoyable for current and future students.
Aston Interview Experiences
Our Top Aston Interview Tips
Aston Interview Tip #1
Practice common interview questions
There is no way to know exactly what questions will come up during the interview, so having a grasp at most of the common questions will increase the chances of being able to answer them well if you are asked about them during the MMI.
Aston Interview Tip #2
Learn to be as adaptable as possible
On the day of the MMI you will come across questions and role plays that you have not seen before, it is important to be able to recognise and adapt your answer to the specific situation that you are being asked to deal with. Remember most of the skills you have learnt and practised such as empathy and communication skills are transferrable between stations.
Aston Interview Tip #3
Have an opinion on current topics & qualities required as a doctor
Aston wants aspiring medics who can demonstrate they have a strong knowledge about the different medical specialties and other healthcare staff. Medicine is a collaborative career and it is important to know the role of each different person in the hospital and how this affects patient care.
Ibrahim Hameed is currently a 3rd year medical student as Aston Medical School.
