Oxbridge and medicine interviews

 

This article looks at university entrance interviews. It focuses on interviews for entrance to Oxford and Cambridge, but it applies just as directly to interviews for Medical School etc. The article is set out in condensed form, as a set of signposts rather than a detailed 'how to' guide partly because  we expect that you will be talking about interviews with your school and partly because you can't approach interview preparation with a 'paint-it-by-numbers' approach.

Most university entrance decisions are made without interview, just on the contents of your UCAS application form (other articles in the CIFE advice series explain how to make the best of your UCAS application). Most universities will invite you to an Open Day, but these aren't interviews. Open Days are there to let you look check out the university, not for it to find out about you.

  • Why do some universities / courses still interview?
    • Because your GCSE / AS marks, A-level predictions, UCAS Personal Statement don't give enough information
      • about how you think - lots more about this below
      • (in the case of career-facing degrees such as medicine) about your commitment to the profession
    • Because they have too many applicants who look brilliant on paper
    • NB Your UCAS form is still vital - it has to stack up or you won't get interviewed at all
  • What do admissions tutors want to find out?
    • Will they enjoy teaching you?
    • Will you cope with the demands of the course?
    • Will you 'add value' - to the teaching, to the university community?
    • Do you have a realistic commitment to your subject?
    • But they don't have a stereotype or 'ideal student' to measure you against!
  • How do they approach the task?
    • By asking questions to explore the above, directly and indirectly
    • As fairly as they can. That's why you'll be seen by more than one interviewer
    • They try to make the interview  similar for all candidates, but also they need to follow individual thought lines as the interview 'conversation' develops.
      • So, they won't ask anything  needing knowledge of a special syllabus. Any background knowledge will be from the 'core' syllabus
      • Questions may well be based on AS material. After all, students don't cover A2 in the same order, so they can't assume much A2 content
      • So, they often ask questions based on material that will be 'new' to all candidates - this is fairest, and offers best scope for teaching. New material provides a good way to see if you:
        • Make connections between it and what you already know.
        • Can speculate sensibly
        • Are able to be critical / logical
        • Grasp new ideas quickly
        • Are 'articulate' - ie able to express yourself
    • You may have to sit a test before the interview starts, or you might be asked to read something to prepare. Ask for details if the college's website doesn't tell you what the format is!
      • This is a skill you can practice
      • Don't be scared! Everyone is in the same boat.
  • Potential questions:
    • Expect the unexpected but prepare for the standard questions anyway (for egs, see later)
    • Expect follow-up questions:
      • 'why do you think that?'
      • 'what would you say if...?'
      • 'how do we know that...?'
    • The first few questions may be mainly to relax you. Later questions are usually designed to start a dialogue, or/and teach you something new, and they can test:
      • how you think
      • how quickly you learn
      • how flexible your thinking is
      • how logical you are
        these are all really important - not something you can easily hide / change, though practice may help you get a bit better and will make this more familiar / less stressful
    • Questions on what you know:
      • Existing knowledge is usually tested indirectly.
      • The interview isn't usually a quiz.
    • Checking whether you are OK with the methodology of your subjects: how historians / scientists / mathematicians etc:
      • think
      • discuss
      • assess and use evidence
    • The interviewer may challenge what you say. This doesn't mean that you've gone wrong. He is probably just seeing if you can handle counter-argument.
  • What you should know:
    • Your AS work as well as the current work
    • Something interesting from the news relevant to your subject -shows you're aware of the wider context and that you go beyond the text-book
    • Something extra about subject topics you are really interested in. At this level, you're expected to show real intellectual curiosity and to want to explore for yourself.
    • What you wrote in your UCAS Personal Statement:
      • You are very likely to be asked about your personal Statement
      • Do you need to check on anything - eg re-read books you mention?!
      • Think about how your experiences are relevant - what they mean. This is particularly important for career-facing degrees
  • Things to check out in advance:
    • College / department  website:
      • Information about what will happen at the interview
      • Ideas to help answer the possible question of 'why did you choose this college / university?'
      • More about the subject you've applied for
    • Main university website
      • Good advice on interviews (eg Cambridge have useful videos of interviews)
      • Course details such as content, assessment, options
      • Ideas to help you explain why you are applying for this subject .
  • Preparation you should do:
    • Look at / sort out the 'What you should know'  material
    • And the same for the 'Check out in advance' material
    • Practice discussing your subject:
      • With friends (eg try to explain difficult ideas, solutions to problems etc)
      • with your teachers
      • with teachers you don't know - you won't know your interviewers.
    • Know something about your subjects' methodology - ask your teachers about this!
    • Practice reading and understanding short articles about subject topics, (Eg New Scientist, the Economist - whatever's relevant to your subject)
      • What's the article about - can you summarise it?
      • What's the article relate to - what's the background?
      • What are the implications of the article?
    • You'll probably be asked if you have any questions
      • It's not essential to ask any, but possibilities include details of course options, how your work is assessed, job prospects, accommodation and sports facilities.
      • Don't ask about things which are fully dealt with in the prospectus / website!
  • Immediately before
    • Relax and sleep properly the night before - no partying!
    • Know where you have to go
    • Eat enough a couple of hours before, but not so much that you get sleepy
    • Be twenty minutes early
    • Respect the occasion. Dress comfortable but tidy
  • Right attitude to go into the interview with
    • I'll do the best I can
    • It will be like a one-to-one session with a new teacher who is about to make my UCAS prediction<
  • During the interview it is good to:
    • Look directly at your questioner, especially when there is more than one person in the room
    • Concentrate hard, especially if you feel the interview isn't going well
    • Sit up straight and look attentive. This will help you keep alert as well as looking businesslike
    • Pause for a moment to collect your thoughts before answering a tricky question.
    • Say so if you really don't know how to answer
    • It is OK to say “I'm not sure but might it be ... ?”
    • Be enthusiastic about things that excite you.
  • During the interview don't:
    • Get angry, dogmatic or very defensive
    • Make very positive statements if you actually are uncertain
    • Give one-word answers. Your interviewer will feel that you are hard work and unresponsive
    • Dwell on your mistakes (everyone makes some). If you do you are more likely to panic and miss the next question as well.
    • Talk for too long:
      • Say what you think and why, briefly. If they want more they will say so
      • If you are getting into a muddle it is better to stop than to keep talking.
    • Rely on memorised answers to the standard questions:
      • You may not get any standard questions at all
      • Your answers will sound unnatural and not true to you as an individual
  • Coping with panic
    • Interviews are stressful so it is normal for you to feel tense beforehand. This is usually a positive thing - the adrenaline will help to keep you alert
    • But too much tension and you may seize up.
    • How do you avoid this?
      • Prepare well and arrive in good time at the interview
    • Realise that almost everyone makes the occasional mistake during an interview. It is not the end of the world and certainly does not mean failing the interview
    • Interviewers expect you to get stuck and may push you to the point where you do get stuck so they can then teach you something new
    • Don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know the answer – they can’t expect you to know everything
    • If you feel you are making a mess of your answer:
      • stop talking as soon as you can,
      • take a few deep breaths,
      • concentrate as hard as you can on the next question.
  • These are the types of question you might get asked
    • About the course and university
      • 'Why did you choose this degree?'
      • 'What features of our course do you like the look of?
      • 'Why did you choose this university / college'?
        These are 'standard' questions to think about in advance
    • Subject-specific questions:
      • 'Why are some materials elastic but others are not?'
      • 'What are the disadvantages of giving the Bank of England independence from government?'
        Ideally, you know your stuff and have done a bit of extra reading but there is no other direct way to prepare for this sort of question. If you really can't handle it the interviewer is probably correct in deciding that you are unlikely to cope with the course! Do not be afraid to say so if you haven't covered the topic yet
    • Interests & experience:
      • 'What did you enjoy most about helping produce the year-book?'
      • 'Do you still play the piano?'
      • 'I see you collect coins - do you specialise in any country?'
      • 'What's the last book you've read?'
        Questions from your UCAS statement  are common. They may be just to relax you, but may also be exploring how much energy you have to do well outside class. You don't have to be an expert in all the things you mentioned but be prepared to say something intelligent in response to questions about what you wrote.
    • Opinions:
      • 'Do you think that people should get legal aid if they want to sue for libel?'
      • ‘Should policemen have the right to go on strike?'
      • 'Are scientists responsible for the uses other people make of their discoveries?'
        These questions can involve any area - your interests, current events, your subjects. Open-ended questions relating to your subject area are particularly common, especially on controversial topics (e.g. in medicine questions about abortion, euthanasia, the NHS are common). Keep your eye on the news and the quality press for relevant ideas. Your teachers will also be able to suggest points to consider. In general, interviewers are more interested in how you handle this sort of question than in whether you say the ‘right’ thing. You must be prepared to justify what you have said and to show that you realise there are often several valid view-points.