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Medicine interviews

2025 entry

Welcome

Congratulations on being invited to interview

"I would like to congratulate you for being selected for interview and know this reflects many years of hard work, motivation and commitment. Well done!

"Our Admissions Team understand that you may be feeling nervous about coming to an interview. We want to reassure you that we will provide lots of information in advance to help you prepare and be as confident as possible about your interview.

"On your interview day we want you to relax, be yourself and enjoy your experience with us.

"We are really looking forward to meeting you!"

Dr Veronica McKay, Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions

Veronica McKay

Before your interview

Preparing for your interview

 When and where do the interviews take place?

  • Home (UK) and EU candidates: Your interview will take place in January 2025, in person at either the University of Hull or University of York campus
  • Overseas fee status candidates: Your interview will take place online in December 2024

We will send you an email with details of your interview – please check this email carefully.

If you are unable to attend your interview

If you are unable to attend your interview date, please decline the invitation and contact us at hyms.admissions@hyms.ac.uk as soon as possible. Once we have received all the interview responses we will endeavour to arrange another date for you, if there is one available. Please note that this may not always be possible due to the large volume of interviews that we hold.

What you need to do next

1. Confirm your attendance
Confirm your attendance through the University of York portal, as detailed in your invitation email. You must do this by the deadline detailed in your invitation.

2. Let us know if you need reasonable adjustments
When you accept your interview through the University of York portal, please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make, to ensure the interview experience we provide meets your individual needs.

3. Sign the Code of Practice
You are required to sign our Code of Practice for interviews in advance of the deadline in order to attend an interview. You will be sent the link to sign this once you have accepted your interview.

4. Prepare and practice for your interview
See our top tips below, including our recommended preparation guides from the Medical Schools Council for in-person or online interviews.

5. Attend your pre-interview briefing (Overseas fee status candidates only)
If you are an overseas fee status candidate, you will be required to attend a mandatory pre-briefing webinar taking place on Monday 9 December 2024. Please check your email for details. If you have not received your email invitation, please email: hyms.admissions@hyms.ac.uk Applicants who do not attend the pre-briefing will not be admitted to interview.

What are the interview stations and how are they scored?

Candidates are scored on each station of the interview as described below. Your total score will be used as part of our selection procedure.

All candidates will be required to attend a briefing session in advance of their interview, where will talk you through the process step by step and answer any questions you may have. This will be on the day of your interview if you are attending in person, or on the Monday of the week of your interview if you are attending online.

In-person interview stations and scoring: Home / EU candidates only

Group exercise

22 points

At Hull York Medical School, much of our teaching and learning takes place in small group settings and in teams, so our students need to be able to work well with peers.

The main aim of this station is to give us an insight into how you work within a group or team. We are interested in your ability to work collaboratively, how well you contribute relevant information to a group discussion, and whether you can articulate your thoughts effectively and clearly.

This station will take place in a group of up to 10 candidates.

You will be scored on your level of participation and contribution, but not on your medical knowledge.

The exercise will be chaired and facilitated by our very experienced problem-based learning (PBL) tutors, who will support and guide the group through the PBL process. The tutor and an observing medical student will score the performance of each candidate. A Hull York Medical School Student Ambassador will also be present to act as ‘scribe’, capturing the group discussion.

Two mini-interviews

17 points each

Candidates will be asked two questions in each interview room, though our interviewers may ask you to expand on your initial answer. Each interviewer will score the responses independently.

You will receive your first question for each room before entering and will be given five minutes thinking time to prepare your response to this question.

The mini-interview questions will focus on your understanding of current issues in medicine, your insight into a career in medicine, your critical thinking skills and personal qualities, such as empathy, tolerance and resilience.

Student station

17 points

You will be asked two questions by senior medical students which will explore becoming a student doctor, and joining the Hull York Medical School community.

You will receive your first question before entering and will be given five minutes thinking time to prepare your response to this question.

Individual scenario station

17 points

The scenario assesses how you would react and respond in a given situation.

You will be shown a pre-recorded video simulating a character talking directly to you and will be asked to respond to questions about this at two points during the video and once at the end of the video.

Candidates will watch this video wearing over-ear headphones. If you will need reasonable adjustments to help you access this station effectively, please contact the admissions team as soon as possible in advance of your interview date about these.

You will then be asked additional follow up questions linked to the scenario you have watched.

You are not asked to problem solve in this station, and we will not be testing your medical knowledge.

Online interview stations and scoring: Overseas fee status candidates only

Three mini-interviews

15 points each

You will be asked one question in each interview, though our interviewers may ask you to expand on your initial answer. Each interviewer will score the responses independently.

The mini-interviews will focus on your understanding of current issues in medicine, your insight into and motivation for a medical career, and your critical thinking skills and personal qualities, such as empathy, open-mindedness and resilience.

Student station

15 points

You will be asked two questions by senior medical students which will explore becoming a student doctor, and joining the Hull York Medical School community.

Individual scenario station

15 points

The scenario assesses how you would react and respond in a given situation.

You will be shown a pre-recorded video simulating a character talking directly to you and will be asked to respond to questions about this at two points during the video and once at the end of the video.

You will then be asked additional follow up questions linked to this scenario once the video has finished.

You are not asked to problem solve in this station, and we will not be testing your medical knowledge.

Group exercise

15 points

At Hull York Medical School, much of our teaching and learning takes place in small group settings and in teams, so our students need to be able to work well with peers.

The main aim of this station is to give us an insight into how you work within a group or team. We are interested in your ability to work collaboratively, how well you contribute relevant information to a group discussion, and whether you can articulate your thoughts effectively and clearly.

This station will take place in a group of up to 6 candidates.

You will be scored on your level of participation and contribution, but not on your medical knowledge.

The exercise will be chaired and facilitated by our very experienced problem-based learning (PBL) tutors, who will support and guide the group through the PBL process. The tutor and an observing medical student will score the performance of each candidate.

Top tips for preparing for your interview

Prepare for your interview using the Medical Schools Council interviews guidance
Prepare and practice for your interview using the Medical Schools Council interview preparation website and a handy interviews infosheet (PDF). We strongly encourage applicants to review this.

Find out about our values
We are committed to transforming the lives of people in our region and beyond, and creating an inclusive and inspirational culture that everyone is proud to be a part of. Take a look our values, which shape how we do this and why they are at the heart of all we do.

Check your interview time and location
Cross check the timing of your interview and ensure you arrive on time. Late arrivals cannot be accommodated unless there is evidence provided of exceptional circumstances.

Get the necessary identity documents ready
Your interview invitation details what ID you need to provide at your interview. Get them ready in advance as you will need these in order to be able to be interviewed, and it saves you having to look through cupboards and folders at the last minute to find your ID.

Take a look at the support resources

We advise all applicants to be wary of paying for support materials when there's a wealth of free resources available to help you prepare, including information from the Medical Schools Council, which includes specific guidance about interviews.

Medicine student in the Allam Medical Building
Medicine students having a discussion at Castle Hill Hospital
students-on-ward

A student's perspective

Nobody understands better than our current students what it’s like to attend a Medical School interview.

Medicine student Antara Priyadarshini gives an insight into their experience of their interview and shares some tips to help you prepare for your interview.

Antara Priyadarshini

After your interview

What happens after all the interviews are completed?

Issuing decisions

Once all interviews are completed, we will collate and analyse all scores before issuing any decisions.

We let candidates know our decisions by 31 March, and will make every effort to start issuing decisions sooner than this.

All of our decisions are processed in random order, which can take several weeks – so there is no need to worry if you are not among the first candidates to receive a decision.

Campus allocation

Successful applicants will be informed of their campus, which is allocated randomly by ballot, in their offer letter. Requests for a specific campus can be considered if you meet certain eligibility criteria, please visit our campus allocation information for details.

Post-offer visit days

We will invite successful candidates to visit us at a post-offer visit day at their allocated campus in their offer letter (the University of Hull or University of York).

These events give you the chance to learn even more about what it means to become a Hull York Medic, to interact with current students and fellow applicants, and to view the accommodation and facilities available at your allocated campus.

Information for your parents, teachers or supporters

The process of applying to medical school can be as daunting for parents and/or supporters as it is for students!

If your interview is in person, you are welcome to bring a friend or family member with you. We will have a Supporter’s Lounge with refreshments where they can wait during your interview, and chat with current staff and students.

Contact us

If you have queries about your interview, please contact interviewsupport@hyms.ac.uk

If you are unable to attend your interview date, please contact  hyms.admissions@hyms.ac.uk
We will endeavour to arrange another date for you, but this may not always be possible due to the large volume of interviews that we hold.