Medical School Interview: Questions on Background & Motivation

Among the various questions you will be asked in your medical school interview, many are meant to find out how serious you are about the medical profession and whether you are fully aware of what it entails.

Here are the 3 most common medical school interview questions on background and motivation.

1.    Why Do You Wish to Go to Medical School?

This is among the most common questions asked in medical school interviews. And, it is best to have your answer prepared beforehand. For this, you need a thorough understanding of what it means to be a medical student and then a doctor. Focus equally on passion and pragmatism in your answer. Make your response is detailed but avoid rambling. Show your desire to engage with and help people by including examples from personal experience. Explain why the combination of medical science and human interaction appeals deeply to you.

2.    What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Get a Place in a Med School This Year?

By asking this question, the interviewer is trying to determine how committed you are to a career in medicine. So, simply answering, “I know I will get in,” would make you sound arrogant and would be almost as bad as suggesting that you would try something else. Tell the interviewer what it means to you to get in and that you will not give up, try harder for next year and, in the meantime, look for a job or volunteer work in a related field to gain more healthcare experience. This will show that you’re a positive person who is capable of turning misfortune into an advantage.

3.    Which Aspects of a Doctor’s Professional Life Appeal to You?

Your answer could be along the lines of:

·       You find helping people in need rewarding and wish to make a real difference in their lives.

·       You find patient care, disease management and the accompanying medical research intellectually stimulating.

·       You believe that a doctor’s job is multi-faceted and presents exciting challenges.

·       You enjoy problem-solving and teamwork.

·       Healthcare professionals get a diverse range of opportunities.

Strengthen your answer by including first-hand experiences that can back what you say. Also, don’t forget to mention that you are aware of the stress and emotional difficulties you’ll have to face, but believe that these are outweighed by the positives.

The key is to ensure thorough preparation not just for the entrance exam but also for the interview. Joining an experienced coaching institute, like ICanMed,  that provides excellent training courses for medical school interviews could prove beneficial.

How Universities Consider the UCAT

For those of you seeking entry into a medical school in New Zealand, the UCAT exam is mandatory. This is a highly-established clinical admissions test that is recognized by leading universities in other countries as well.

Different Marks for Sections

The UCAT is a computer-based test that presents 233 questions to students in the stipulated time of two hours. There are four main sections - verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and abstract reasoning, each with a different number of questions and different time allocated. It is important to choose the best UCAT coaching and practice a lot of test examples before appearing for this exam.

Since all the sections have different numbers of questions, it’s not possible to compare the absolute marks in each. Instead, the system translates your results into scaled marks between a range of 300 and 900 marks. The entire exam generates a total of scaled marks that range between 1,200 and 3,600.

You get one mark for every right answer in each of the sections, with the exception of the decision-making section. In this section, some questions may carry two marks. For these, you get one mark if your answer is partially correct. There is an additional section on the situational judgment that follows a different scoring methodology.

Apart from this, different universities follow different systems for considering your scores. Let’s have a look at this.

One Cutoff System

New Zealand universities consider the UCAT score as a significant factor for admission into medical and dental degree courses. Many of these medical schools consider the total score. They decide on a cutoff mark for offering admission and this mark could vary from year to year. You can find out about the cutoff mark for different universities on the respective website.

There are various guidelines to follow to seek admission and the best source of such information is a good UCAT coaching institute, like iCanMed, which not only prepares you with UCAT test questions but also gives you advice on other aspects of medical college admission.

Separate Cutoffs for Individual Subtests

Some universities set an individual cutoff for each subtest, rather than considering your overall score. This is tougher to meet a criterion, as you need to perform well in all sections of the UCAT questions and answers. Practicing regularly with UCAT test examples can help improve your skills in all sections.

The Band Scored in Situational Judgement

For this atypical section, the scoring is in bands ranging from 1 to 4, with 1 being the best and 4 being the lowest band. Some universities reject the application of candidates having band 3 and 4 in this section.

Look for as many free UCAT practice tests you can find online. Keep practicing to improve your chances of being selected by a New Zealand university. 

Tips for Improving Your Body Language for a Medical Interview

Humans are the only species that can talk. But speech is not the only way in which we communicate. Apart from language, we use gestures, facial expressions, the tone of voice and signs to get our thoughts across to others. In fact, more than 50% of communication comprises of body language, says professor of psychology at UCLA, Albert Mehrabian. So, make sure that your medical interview training includes sessions on improving your non-verbal communication.

A UCAT interview call brings anxiety along with excitement. So, your medicine interview course should not only help you brush up your knowledge but also inculcate the right body language.

Medical School Interview Preparation: Tips for Improving Non-Verbal Communication

Join a Reputed Medical School Interview Coaching Program: A professional medical school interview course will include several mock interviews. It’s a great idea to practice answering questions with the right voice modulation, tone, and volume. Practicing also helps control your stress and feel more confident and comfortable. This is automatically reflected in your body language.

Remember to Smile: Did you know that a smile can release neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which boost your mood. Smiling will not only elevate your mood but also have a positive impact on the mood of interviewers as they smile back at you. So, remember to smile when you enter the room as well as during the interview.

Practice a Good Handshake: Your handshake is the first real connection you make with your interviewers and it can communicate a lot about you. Ensure that your right hand is free before entering the room. A handshake should be from thump to thump. Don’t just touch the fingers. Hold the other person’s, entire palm. This shows confidence. Ensure that your handshake is firm, not limp. At the same time, don’t squeeze too hard, as this conveys your nervousness.

Avoid Fidgeting When Sitting: Sit firmly and straight, with your back against the chair. Do not lean backward, as this shows boredom or arrogance. Place your hands on your lap. You should use your hands for gesturing but position them back on your lap when you’re done. Avoid touching your face or hair. Keep your feet on the ground. Don’t shake your legs or stamp your feet. Resisting the temptation to move your hands and legs is something you should practice during your medical interview training.

The other things that your medicine interview course will teach you is to maintain eye contact, while not staring too hard. You will also learn things like keeping your portfolio on the desk and your bag on the floor.

To perform better at your UCAT interview, you need medical interview training from a reputed and experienced institute like ICanMed. Such an institute can provide you many other tips during your medical school interview preparation.

4 Simple Study Tips for UCAT Preparation

With UCAT exam replacing the UMAT exam from 2019, every student planning to apply for most of the medical or dentistry courses in Australia and New Zealand needs to sit for UCAT.

The Universal Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT), aims to help universities in selecting applicants who have highly suitable attitudes, professional behaviours, and mental abilities which are a must for medical field professionals.

While most students rely on professional UCAT courses for exam preparation, self-studying is still one of the most important steps to succeed. Here are 4 simple tips to help you study for UCAT.

 

1. Time Management is Key to UCAT Preparation

With 5 different subtests to take care of, it is common for a lot of students to waste their time panicking. This can be avoided by effective time management. Based on the duration left for the exam, plan your preparations accordingly to make sure that every subject gets adequate time. Know the subjects that you are weak in and focus on them during your UCAT tutoring.

 

2. Understand the UCAT Question Format

UCAT tests your skills and not your knowledge. As a result, the questions in the test are generally very different from what you might have experienced at universities and schools. This makes it very important for every student to clearly understand the format of questions in each of the 5 subtests. Go through practice papers on a regular basis to familiarize yourself with the paper format.

 

3. Practice with Friends

While self-studying is crucial, things can easily get very boring after some time. To make the preparations more interesting, try to practice the questions with friends from UCAT prep course. Try to answer the questions together, go through answer explanations, and ask questions to each other to keep boredom at bay.

 

4. Practice Tests in Simulated Conditions Can Be Very Helpful

Most of the UCAT courses will require you to sit for practice tests under simulated conditions. The importance of these tests couldn't be stressed enough. It is only under simulated conditions that you will get to experience the actual time pressures that you will be facing during the exam. Also, get used to the computer-based platform that is used for UCAT during the preparations.

 

While there is no denying that UCAT is one of the most challenging exams in the medical profession, you can excel with the right approach and preparation. Look for a reputed institute like iCanMed, which offers comprehensive UCAT preparation courses and provides you with assistance and guidance every step of the way.

Medical School Interview: Tips on Reducing with Exam Stress

Research shows that most students suffer from exam stress. While some degree of stress can drive us to work harder, when the level rises, it could lead to negative consequences like depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. While the medical school interview preparation can be quite exhausting, students should take care of their mental and physical health during this time to ensure that they perform well in the exam.
Here are some tips on dealing with exam stress.

1. Eat Healthy and Exercise
One of the most important things that students ignore during exams is to stay fit and healthy. Eating light and healthy food and drinking lots of water and fresh juices will energise you and also save a lot of energy that would otherwise go into digesting junk and fried foods. Regular exercise is a great way to lower stress since it leads to the release of endorphins, which is the feel-good hormone. This will also help you to study for long hours.

2. Avoid Distractions
Keeping aside your smartphone and limiting the time you spend on social media might not seem important, but it will save you a lot of time that you can then invest in your medical interview training. Moreover, discussing your exam anxiety with your friends and chatting with them for hours might not help you at all. Each time the phone rings, it will distract you from your studies.

3. Learn to Manage Your Time
If you prioritise your time, divide up the topics and practice medical school interview questions, you will automatically feel confident. Make a timetable, include your nap and break times, and stick to this schedule. You will notice that sticking to your timetable will help you cover your syllabus on time and will definitely reduce exam stress.

4. Take Breaks
Preparing for the questions asked in the medical school interview is very important. However, studying for long hours without a break will only tire your eyes and your brain. Take 10-15 minutes to break after every two hours or so. Listen to some soothing music, meditate or do something that you love.

5. Get Proper Sleep
Research has proven that sound sleep is crucial for the healthy functioning of our body and mind. When you study for long hours and don’t sleep properly, stress levels automatically increase. Keeping to a sleep routine and taking a short power-nap in the afternoon will help you reduce exam stress.
Make sure you also enrol in a trusted medical school interview course, like that offered by iCanMed, where you can get help from experts who have vast experience in training students to crack the UCAT exam.

Tips on Answering the UCAT Interview Questions with Confidence

The old adage, “the first impression is the last impression,” is definitely true for all types of interview situations, whether it is for admission into a medical college or for being hired for a job. The key to making a good first impression is to appear confident. Here are some tips to help you answer the UCAT interview questions with confidence.

1.    Prepare to answer the common interview questions

In all your interviews, be it for UCAT or a job interview, you will be asked certain basic questions about your interests, personality and goals. Preparing appropriate responses for these questions is, therefore, a good idea. Be creative and make sure you communicate your point of view clearly to the interviewer. Go through the UCAT practice interview questions carefully to gain a better understanding.

2.    Showcase your strengths and achievements

It is important to realise that if you have reached the UCAT interview stage, you must have the required knowledge and skills. Now, you need to show these skills and your commitment to the course. You can check out UCAT practice books and improve your communication skills and confidence for this.

3.    Be honest

One of the most important characteristics that interviewers look for in a candidate is honesty. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the perfect answer or don’t agree with the interviewer’s opinion. What matters is that you stay honest and you take a stand (albeit politely) for what you believe in.

4.    Be a good listener

The key to good communication is to listen. Only by listening carefully will you be able to understand what the interviewers wish to see in you. This will help you frame your answers accordingly. Repeating or paraphrasing the questions will show that you are a good listener and are paying attention.

5.    Relax and smile while answering the questions

You might be freaking out inside. However, you must remain calm on the outside. Be humble and polite while answering the UCAT interview questions. Have a smile on your face when you enter and leave the room. Avoid any arguments or heated discussions. 

Practising UCAT example questions before the interview will build your confidence and boost your morale. You can also consider joining a reputed coaching institute like iCanMed to gain better insight into the exam and interview through free UCAT practice tests.

Choosing Medicine Speciality Based On Your Personality Type

Compassion, emotional stability, good communication skills and patience are the most common traits of physicians. Service to the patient in an organised and scientific manner is the core value and guiding principle of medical practitioners. However, the medical profession has its own stresses and different specialisations require a different set of skills and personality traits.
The questions asked in medical school interviews often revolve around how the applicant will behave in tough situations.

Myers-Briggs Personality Test (MBTI)

A self-report questionnaire, based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological type, the Myers-Briggs Personality Test (MBTI) helps you identify your perception of the world and of people. It also helps you determine how well you know yourself and can make decisions when required.

Personality can be divided into four types, according to the MBTI, which are:

1. Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I): where do you focus your attention?
2. Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F): How is your decision-making ability?
3. Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N): How well do you take information?
4. Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P): How do you deal with the environment?

According to the MBTI, people can be sorted into one of 16 different personality types. Based on your answers to the questionnaire, you will be assigned a combination of four letters that depict your personality type.
Elements of the MBTI are used in medical school interviews to better understand the candidate’s personality. The way you answer the med school interview questions can help you present your personality in the best light and create a personal brand.

Personality Type & Medical Speciality

The Myers-Briggs Personality Test can be easily used to determine what kind of medical specialty will suit your personality type too. For instance, anyone who received “Introverted–Sensing–Thinking–Judging (ISTJ)” in their test results, are more suited for Dermatology, Obstetrics-gynaecology, Family practice, Urology and Orthopaedic Surgery. On the other hand, those with Introverted–Sensing–Feeling–Judging (ISFJ) on the test might be better at Anaesthesiology, Ophthalmology, General practice, Family practice and Paediatrics.

There are 14 more combinations that can be created from the MBTI, which can help you determine whether your personality is suited for a particular specialization.
The med school interview serves a similar purpose, checking for your social skills. The question asked in the medical school interview also allows the interviewer to know if you will be able to connect with patients and other doctors in highly complex social environments.