Test taken: BMAT

Number of interviews: 3

Skype interview: no

Time between interviews: 2 hours

Length of first interview: 20-30 minutes; Length of second interview: 20-30 minutes; Length of third interview: 20-30 minutes

My first interview was a more clinically based one. My interviewer was quite friendly, definitely not as intimidating or super serious as I had imagined. I was asked questions based on a disease I had written about in my personal statement, which I felt decently prepared for. The fact that he started on more familiar territory definitely helped me relax a bit! We then progressed to discussing a series of graphs that the interviewer had prepared. It’s important to read the information carefully and try to think ‘outside the box’. Finally, I was asked more questions on ‘generic’ medical topics, e.g. the role of AI and the fair distribution of resources in the NHS. I had prepared for answering questions on topics like these, so it wasn’t that daunting!

My second interview was a very scientific one. Again, the interviewer started in more familiar territory, with questions about things I had written about in my personal statement. This interviewer was also friendly and made me feel at ease! She then moved onto more detailed scientific questions about specific biological molecules e.g. DNA, RNA, proteins, antibodies, etc. These involved drawing out structures, mechanisms of reactions and even a calculation (a calculator was provided, thankfully). It was important to think logically, but also not to be afraid to ask for some time to think. You don’t necessarily need detailed knowledge on all of the topics, but it is a really good idea to be confident on the general principles. Overall this interview was the most enjoyable for me! Challenging, but not at all scary or intimidating!

My final interview was about my wider reading and general interests. We discussed some recent articles that I had read, what I had been learning in biology recently, etc. Definitely be prepared to talk about these, so that you won’t panic during the interview, but if you are then it should be a relaxed and intellectually stimulating conversation! I was pushed quite hard, but again the interviewer was not at all intimidating. We also discussed a bit about what I do in my spare time.

I did literally every single past paper I could get my hands on. Not only did I do BMAT papers, I also did some NSAA and TSA questions (which are similar in style to BMAT section 1). Marking the papers is the most important process; make sure to focus on figuring out where you went wrong and how this can be prevented in the future. I recommend using BMATninja.com, which has many practice questions as well as worked solutions, which can really help with this. I also worked really hard on improving my mental maths, this can really boost your score.

Definitely revise all of the science on your personal statement; make sure you can talk about all of the diseases you included to a reasonable degree (e.g the main causes, maybe some specific science behind the disease, symptoms, treatments). It’s likely they will ask a few starter questions on these, so they’re a good opportunity to show off! I’d also highly recommend keeping up to date with scientific news (e.g by reading the BBC health/science section, New Scientist, etc). Have a few topics in mind that you’d be prepared to talk in detail about. I’d say 3-5 prepared in detail is a good amount. This is another great chance to show off your knowledge and passion for medicine! I’d also make sure you have a good knowledge of what you’ve learned in your A Levels so far (especially what you put in your SAQ). Don’t spend absolutely ages revising everything. You don’t need to know it in exam detail, but a good solid understanding of all of the concepts so that you’d be prepared to answer questions is important.

Most importantly, during your interviews try and show your sincere passion for the sciences and medicine, and be as engaged and interested as possible. That’s possibly the most important quality interviewers want to see in candidates! Try your best to stay calm and not to let nerves get the best of you. This is easier said than done, but try to remember that the interviewers want to see what you have to offer; they are not there to try and trick you or make it too difficult for you! All of the interviewers I had were nice and helped to calm my nerves,and all of the current students were super helpful throughout the whole process. Stay calm and show them what you’ve got!