Admissions Process
We keep this page updated with all the information you will need, so make sure you read and watch everything thoroughly, and contact us if you have any further questions at feo-admissions-interviews@imperial.ac.uk. You can find more information on the sequence of the admissions process on our Admissions Timeline page.
Watch this message from our current student Isra about applying to Medicine.
We welcome and cherish diversity in our applicants' cohort, and we understand it can be difficult to share sensitive information about disabilities, learning difficulties or extenuating circumstances. If you feel that there is anything which could represent a barrier in your application to Medicine, please do get in touch with us so we can put any reasonable adjustments in place for you. We also recommend that you have a look at the MSC Guidance for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
MMI 2025: a blend of asynchronous and face-to-face
Asynchronous-online Stations
This part of your interview will take place in January 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do we do MMIs?
- What are the stations?
- Work experience questions
- How will I be marked?
- How can I prepare?
At Imperial, we believe that MMIs give fair and accurate results. Getting a number of different interviewer assessments means that a candidate who doesn’t do as well on one component can still be fairly assessed on other components.
Although questions and stations may vary through the years, these are the main topics that you will asked about:
- Team work and leadership
- Motivation to study medicine
- Understanding the role of a doctor
- Empathy and breaking bad news
- Ethics scenarios
- Imperial and contribution to the School of Medicine
- Resilience
While we require our applicants to have an understanding of the realities of working as a healthcare professional and to show they have the necessary skills and attributes for their chosen career, we understand that it can be challenging for our prospective applicants to gain practical experience in clinical settings. Have a look on the Work Experience page for more information.
Online resources can give you valuable insight into working in the healthcare sector and outline the wide range of careers and courses available.
Answers are marked out of 7 points for content (what you say) and out of 3 for communication (how you say it). Often there is no right or wrong answer – the interviewers are assessing your ability to explain your thinking. If you change your mind on a specific question half way through your answer, they will consider your ability to reflect on your ideas and how you think on your feet.
Make sure you read the e-module we sent you thoroughly.
Our tips:
Do:
- Control what you can control: be prepared on anything that you can prepare. For example, trial your video-recording skills ahead of time and check your microphone/speakers.
- Read this page and watch the instruction video carefully.
- Take your time to read the problem and clearly understand what is being asked. You have 5 minutes to answer the questions, so do not rush.
- Think about your answer before you start giving it. There are no trick questions, but it helps to think about what you are going to say before you say it.
- Give multiple examples to illustrate your points. Make sure you include your personal experience in your answers - for example, work experience.
- Watch your communication. Avoid colloquial terms, or repeating the same words.
- Prepare thoroughly. Many universities will want to know why you want to study with them in particular. And they will all want you to demonstrate that you have a good idea of what it’s like to work in your chosen profession.
- Keep up to date – questions will often reflect a current news story.
Don’t:
- Don’t panic! If you run out of things to say, take a moment to collect your thoughts and see if you have anything relevant to add. Remember that you can change your mind during an answer, as long as you explain your train of thought and show that you are reflective. If you think you’ve done badly on a particular station, put it out of your mind and move to the next interview with confidence.
- Don’t give memorised answers. Make sure you really listen to the question and don’t go off topic.
- Don’t try too hard to make an impression or stand out. You will be assessed on your friendly approach and professional responses.
Prepare for MMIs with Ayolola Eni-Olotu, Final Year Medical Student
Medical school interviews can vary from university to university and change over time but one thing stays the same – they seem incredibly daunting! However, relatively stress-free success is possible, so here are 5 top tips for smashing your medical school interview.
- Be confident – the fact that you’ve even received an invitation to be interviewed means you’re a strong applicant, and it’s already clear that you have a lot to offer. Remember that they essentially already want to offer you a place and are creating an opportunity to get to know you better, so let your application shine through!
- Answer the question you’ve been asked, not the question you wish you were asked. For medical school interviews especially, people tend to anticipate specific questions and rehearse their answers, which is not necessarily a bad strategy. However, when people ask you a specific question, they are giving you the opportunity to demonstrate specific strengths and assets (as well as listening skills), so make sure you use this opportunity properly.
- Where appropriate, have a structure for your answer. This may include signposting the structure (for example, stating that you’ll be making three key points) or using a specific framework such as STARR (situation, task, action, result, reflection) while speaking about previous experiences. Having a structured answer helps the interviewer follow what you’re saying, and know what to listen out for. It can also help you keep track of what you’re saying, which can prevent feeling frazzled and overwhelmed.
- Answer as yourself. Again, the medical interview is a chance for your future medical school to get to know you. By relating questions to your personal experiences and traits, explaining why medical school at Imperial would be right for you and how you would be valuable to the medical profession, you show that your application is thoughtful and make it easier to justify a successful application. Remember this includes tailoring your answers both to yourself and to the University, so background reading is essential!
- Try to relax afterwards! Medical school applications take a lot of time and effort, and interviews often feel like the culmination of all of that. Going through with the interview is a huge achievement in and of itself so take some time to acknowledge that and pat yourself on the back.
Good luck, and we’d love to have you join us at Imperial!
Keeping stress-level under control during interview time
by Rayyan Ali, ICSM Medicine Student
You’ve done it, you’ve secured an interview. Take a deep breath, go out and celebrate. Interviews are probably the most nerve-wracking part of the medicine application for students simply because nearly all students won’t have done them before - I remember feeling nervous right up until the interviewer asked me the first question. Hopefully you’ll feel a bit better after reading some of these tips:
Start preparing early
Interviews are already stressful enough, there’s no need to add to that by cramming last minute. There are a lot of questions to be familiar with, ranging from questions about your personal statement and why you want to do medicine to questions about your work experiences and ethical scenarios. It’s in your best interest to start early; you’ll feel more prepared and confident this way. Interviewers always love to see confident students who can articulate their ideas well!
Involve other people
You can’t really practice interviews by yourself! Do mock interviews with friends, family or even your pet! Speaking out loud you’ll find is quite different to thinking in your head - what seems like a great answer may not be so great when someone else listens to it. Practicing with other people applying for medicine is especially useful. They’ll know better than most people what to look for in your answers and can really help improve your interview skills. Grab any opportunity to practice interview questions - every little bit helps!
Take care of yourself
Don’t let the interview consume every waking thought of yours (hard as it may sound). Eat and sleep well, meet your friends and relax. Get plenty of exercise as well. I cannot stress how important it is to be relaxed in the weeks preceding the interview. By doing this you’ll create a cycle of positivity - with a more positive mindset you’ll work harder and more efficiently which in turn will make you more relaxed and optimistic. Remember, you’ve done the majority of the hard work by simply being invited for an interview.
On the day
Remaining calm is the best thing you can do. Interviewers aren’t trying to trip you up; they genuinely want to find out more about you and see whether you’d be a good fit for the university. A good feature of MMIs is that one bad station doesn’t affect the others. Whilst it may seem hard to forget about a station you didn’t do so well in, you must try to. Confidence is key in an interview and reflects well on you to an interviewer.
Do make sure to reward yourself after your interview regardless of how you felt it went. You’ve done great reaching this stage!