How will Medical and Dental schools use Interviews? Here’s a summary
7 months ago by Rob
So, you’ve completed your UCAT and now you’re working hard to achieve high grades. But what about your medical interview? Medical interviews are perhaps the most under-recognised part of the medical entry admissions process. Highly able students who have excelled in their UCAT and ATAR have unfortunately missed out on a place in medicine due to failure to understand and prepare for interviews.
Each university uses medical interviews differently, and it can be confusing. Here is a summary:
|
Course |
How are students selected for interview? |
Type of interview |
Interview themes |
How are students selected for a place? |
|
Adelaide University (Medicine & Dentistry) |
Based on UCAT |
MMI |
Personal skills and abilities Motivation and self-awareness Critical thinking and problem solving Attention to detail and professional behaviour Interpersonal and communication skills Prioritising, integrity and conscientiousness Aptitude for group learning and teamwork Compatibility and understanding of the degree and applicable health profession |
20% UCAT 40% interview 40% ATAR |
|
Auckland University Medicine |
Based on GPA |
MMI |
Fluency in oral English Excellent communication skills Resilience and adaptability in responding to challenges Commitment to self-reflection and life-long learning Ability to lead and contribute positively within groups Awareness of the nature of the health profession A strong commitment to the study and practice of health care Empathy, sensitivity, and enthusiasm for people and their well-being Social responsibility including an awareness of prevailing community needs and global health issues Commitment to supporting safe, inclusive, and equitable access to health care for all people in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Well-rounded abilities and interests across a variety of areas |
15% UCAT 25% interview 60% GPA/CST |
|
Curtin University Medicine |
Based on UCAT + ATAR |
MMI |
Personal skills and abilities Communication Critical thinking and problem solving Ethical decision making Rural vs urban care Professional behaviour |
20% UCAT 40% interview 40% ATAR |
|
James Cook University Medicine |
Based on responses on written application, together with all available information regarding academic performance |
Panel |
Personal skills and abilities Communication and critical analysis skills Advocacy and ethical reasoning Empathetic reasoning Teamwork and collaboration skills Tropical medicine knowledge Motivation to study medicine Understanding of rural and remote health issues |
ATAR Written application Interview |
|
Monash University Medicine |
December round: Based on UCAT only January round: Based on UCAT + ATAR |
MMI |
Personal skills and abilities Motivation Communication skills Critical thinking Ethical reasoning Empathic reasoning Teamwork and collaboration Advocacy collaboration |
33% UCAT 33% Interview* 33% ATAR |
|
Newcastle University / UNE Medicine |
100% UCAT |
MMI |
Personal skills and abilities Capacity to thrive within the Joint Medical Program learning environment Ability to make every day and important decisions affecting yourself and others, often without certainty about the outcome Interpersonal and communication skills Degree of personal desire and driving force to be a doctor |
Interview + PQA |
|
University of New South Wales Medicine |
Based on UCAT + ATAR |
Semi-structured panel |
Communication skills Motivation for medicine Empathy Personal skills and abilities Self-awareness Voluntary / work experience Teamwork Hobbies |
33% UCAT 33% Interview 33% ATAR |
|
University of Queensland (including CQU pathway) |
UCAT |
MMI |
Commitment to medicine Teamwork Personal skills and abilities Communication skills Your opinion on various healthcare policies Ethical reasoning kindness and compassion integrity adaptability |
ATAR 25% UCAT 25% Interview 50% |
|
University of Western Australia (Medicine & Dentistry) |
UCAT and predicted/actual ATAR |
MMI |
Commitment to medicine Communication skills Personal skills and abilities Values and Ethics Working with others Providing and receiving assistance Trustworthiness/accountability Self-awareness Cultural competence Management skills Problem solving Teamwork/Collaboration Conflict resolution Empathy/resiliance |
33% UCAT 33% Interview 33% ATAR |
|
Western Sydney / Charles Sturt University Medicine |
100% UCAT (once academic threshold met) |
MMI |
Motivation for medicine Decision making Personal skills and abilities Teamwork Ethics Cultural awareness |
UCAT + Interview (greater emphasis on interview) |
| University of Sydney (Medicine & Dentistry) | ATAR | Panel discussion plus written component |
Motivation to pursue double degree Interest in research Interview is used to 'select-out' rather than 'select-in'. |
Written assessment + Panel discussion |
| Bond University | GPA/ATAR and Psychometric assessment | MMI |
Motivation for studying at Bond Knowledge and critical thinking Leadership Initiative Teamwork Communication skills Responsibility |
Interview score |
| Griffith University Dentistry | UCAT | MMI |
Motivation for dentistry Teamwork Communication and empathy Ethics and social awareness Critical thinking. |
20% UCAT 40% interview 40% ATAR |
|
Charles Sturt University Dentistry |
UCAT score (if not a CSU student) | Panel |
Motivation for a career in dentistry Commitment to rural and regional dental practice Problem solving Decision making Spatial awareness skills |
Interview score |
*At Monash, you only have one chance at the medical interview. That is, if you’re invited to an interview but are unsuccessful in obtaining a place, when you reapply the following year the same interview score will be used.
Note: Please ensure you check the relevant university website for the latest information, as changes occur frequently and without notice.
As you can see from the above table, interviews are vitally important, being weighted at between 25% and 100% when making the final decision regarding which students will be admitted into medicine!
Remember, universities are not just looking for academically bright students (as important as that is), they want students who can show they are highly motivated to be doctors, have good teamwork skills, excellent communication skills, are empathetic and understand wider healthcare issues.
Have you developed strategies that will allow you to demonstrate your qualities effectively? Do you know the questions that will arise at your medical interview? Do you have a solid understanding of what the interviewers are looking for? If not, you need to start preparing!
