Queen Mary Medicine Interview
2023 Queen Mary Medicine Interviews
Format
The Barts and the London conducts a panel-style interview, with 3 assessors, most likely taking place online on Zoom (Yet to be confirmed for 2023). Interviews will take 20-30 minutes, with each assessor giving an independent score.
Dates
Interviews are typically from January to March 2023, with offers being given out a few weeks after the interview – end of March/April.
Questions
The panel interview will consist of questions relating to: an article given to you a few weeks before the course start date, your academic suitability for the course, knowledge of the medical school and the surrounding area, as well as future contributions to the medical school (i.e society and clubs etc.)
What Interview Questions to Expect
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Motivation
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Analytical skills
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The course
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Work experience
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Current affairs
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Personal Suitability
You will be questions on the suitability of the course and the motivations behind studying medicine. Ensure you are well prepared for this station and have practiced, using examples to explain why you think you may be a suitable candidate for medicine.
You will be marked on the ability to process and extract information from the pre-reading material, prior to the interview. Make sure you have a strong understanding of the topic at hand and read around this topic – any relevant news articles or research papers to help grasp the topic at hand.
You will be questioned on the understanding of the course – as a result you will be required to answer questions based on Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, the course structure, potential activities/clubs you will be a part of and its surrounding area: in particular, Whitechapel’s diverse population and its public health research.
You may be questioned about your work experience. The interviewer may require you to reflect on your experiences in clinical practice and how this made you feel. You may be asked what the different roles within a hospital may be, the skills you witnessed when shadowing a doctor and how this may apply to you.
You may be asked questions around the article given. The interviewer may require you to demonstrate an understanding of the different issues demonstrated, as well as further reading into the topic at hand.
You may be asked questions about your suitability to Barts and the London and its student population – this university has an emphasis of activities outside of the academic field. You will be required to discuss what your plans may be in participating student societies and sports clubs and how you plan on interacting with them.
Queen Mary's Scoring System
Interview panels consist of 2 members of senior academic or clinical staff and a medical student.
Decisions for interview are based on UCAT score and UCAS tariff. Decisions for offers are based solely on your performance of your MMIs.
How to answer "Why do you want to study Medicine at Queen Mary?" 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 Queen Mary?
The Barts and the London MBchB medicine programme is a 5-year programme. It offers early clinical interactions with a focus on patient contact. It uses a mixture of Problem based learning with an emphasis on small group teaching, practical pro-section anatomy, physiology sessions and traditional lectures. The curriculum is described as “Spiral in nature” – knowledge and teaching are built on year on year. The course also consists of student selected components; every year, there specific components which are student selected, allowing for the exploration of medicine in both clinical and research settings.
What is unique about Queen Mary and its Medical School?
The Barts and the London was formed initially as a combination of 2 medical colleges in 1995, the London Hospital Medical College and the Medical College of St Bartholomew’s Hospital – the latter being the oldest hospital in the UK, founded 1123. Being established in the heart of Whitechapel, East London, it is in an area of significant diversity and has an emphasis of public health research, most notably the healthcare inequalities between socioeconomic and ethnic groups. The college is currently ranked #125th in the QS World university rankings and is affiliated to the Royal London hospital, the home of the London air ambulance service.
Why else would people choose Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry?
Being established in East London, the population of patients observed in clinical placements are people from a diverse background. As a future clinician, this allows for a more holistic approach to the patient and their relevant treatments. This university is also affiliated with a variety of different research centres in London, such as the Barts cancer institute and the Blizzard institute – both frontiers of medical research. Coupled with notable alumni, such as James Parkinson (the discoverer of Parkinson’s disease) and Sir Robert Winston (founder of In-vitro fertilisation), the Barts and the London has a history of producing a plethora of well-rounded clinicians.
Queen Mary's (Barts) Interview Experiences
Our Top Queen Mary Medicine Interview Tips
Queen Mary Interview Tip #1
Know the area
Ensure you understand the unique opportunity the Barts and the London has, being situated in its location. Make sure you understand area’s diversity and the challenges this brings, in terms of both patient interaction, treatments and culture. Think about the affiliations to this college i.e the institutions it partners with and the research it has to offer.
Queen Mary Interview Tip #2
Revise the course
Make sure you understand what Barts and the London has in terms of its course, so that you can demonstrate a familiarity for the course structure and your suitability for the course. Explain why Barts and the London appeals to you; think about its location, the environment and the style of teaching it has to offer.
Alex is a 1st year medical student at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
