Medicine @ Magdalene, Cambridge in 2019

Interview format

Biomedical Admissions Test; 2x interviews.

Interview content

Topics of discussion at the interview included graphs, anatomy, and chemistry.

Best preparation

Revise relevant A-level content and read around the subject.

Test preparation

Used Medify to sit practice papers.

Final thoughts

Make sure you're comfortable with public health and medical ethics

Remember this advice isn't official. There is no guarantee it will reflect your experience because university applications can change between years. Check the official Cambridge and Oxford websites for more accurate information on this year's application format and the required tests.

Also, someone else's experience may not reflect your own. Most interviews are more like conversations than tests and like, any conversation, they are quite interactive.

Interview Format

Test taken: Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 5 hours
Length of interviews: 20 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Both of my interviews were very academic, and despite filling in the SAQ about which modules I did at A-level, most of the questions I was asked were about topics I wasn't familiar with. Thinking out loud is the most important thing to do, often the interviewers want to know how you think and not necessarily what you already know. In my interviews I was asked to interpret some graphs, discussed the anatomy of some parts of the human body, and was asked some questions about chemistry. 

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I revised the A-level content for all of my subjects and read a few books around the subject. For example, I read books about medical ethics because that was something I was interested in after attending philosophy and ethics lectures. I also had conversations with friends and teachers about my personal statement. None of my interviews were based on my personal statement, which was strange, but it's always good to have something you are passionate about at hand.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I used Medify, an online platform with practice papers that you can take under timed conditions.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Think out loud during the interview, even in instances where you think your answer is incorrect. Sometimes the most radical and strange solutions are the right ones. I would recommend considering the interview as being like a discussion, not an interrogation. Definitely have an understanding of public health and some medical ethics before your interview, and make sure to understand your A-level content!