Interviews outside UK.. what differences? how to prepare?

**autumn rose** · 10-06-2005, 03:43 PM

HI!! I'm currently studying A-level in Malaysia and I'm thinking of doing medicine after my A-levels.. but i'm only choosing those which conduct interviews here in Malaysia..
But the problem is if i get chosen for interviews, will they be any different from the interviews conducted in UK?I'm normally slightly shy and get extremely nervous when i'm under pressure..
Can anybody please tell me what type of questions are usually asked in interviews outside UK? i've thought of practising with my friends and but i really don't have any idea what the interviewers are gonna ask!! Besides, in what kind of areas do i need to be well-informed? Some people say they ask a lot of general questions which test your personality, communication skills or whatever it is! But at least i wanna read up before i go for it.
I'll be very grateful if u all can help.. Thx a lot!

**jeffrey_leow** · 12-06-2005, 04:41 AM

bristol came down to KL to conduct interviews for international applicants

**Ching** · 12-06-2005, 10:06 AM

Do they? I know Loughborough was in Penang (not that they do Medicine- this was for their Chemistry course)

Anyway, I think that they would essentially be the same sort of interviews- I mean, they're still looking for the same sort of person etc. Browsing the forum should provide a list of "typical" interview questions- at the same time; I wouldn't memorise standard answers to those as it's equally likely that you would get a different type of interview completely. I don't think I would practice with my friends, because an interview is very different. Your friends know you- an interviewer doesn't. I had one practice interview with my teacher, which was completely different from the other practice interview I had with a man who runs practice interviews. I didn't know him, and so acted differently around him than I did with my teachers.

You also should be more or less aware of current medical issues (maybe being in Asia SARS/ bird-flu will come into it? I really don't know); but also be prepared to talk about ethical issues etc.

**autumn rose** · 15-06-2005, 12:21 PM

Thanks for the advice.. i've read through some of the interview questions in this website and am trying to familiarize myself.. some questions are indeed very strange.. i'll try to have mock interviews with some professionals.. i think it should help but the interview part is the only thing that i'm afraid of!
i'm not sure whether the interviewers really do come to Malaysia but according to the agent, some come down but some don't... so i'll only choose those which will conduct interviews here..

**faith** · 15-06-2005, 07:02 PM

Some places that interview regularly may make non-interview offers to international students, a friend of mine who has international status got an offer from Newcastle w/o interview and apparently it was because of the int'l status- although I'm not quite sure about the truth behind that! (Having said that Newcastle make offers without interview to people with exceptional personal statements and references).

I've known some people at Cambridge who have been interviewed by a tutor flown into Singapore/Malaysia. Make sure you choose a university based upon whether you think you'll want to go there for the next 5 years rather than whether they fly tutors out to interview!

**adrenalizer** · 15-06-2005, 07:25 PM

I guess it's pretty cool being an Admission Tutor flying around the world to interview people. Hmm maybe I should go into academic medicine. ;-)

**faith** · 16-06-2005, 12:21 AM

Sure, if you like lots of marking...the flying roun the world bit is probably a annual perk for those long-suffering academics...

heh.

**ottery21** · 16-06-2005, 10:55 AM

Hi! I know Cardiff does video-conferencing interviews...I have a friend who had an interview like that and subsequently got and offer

I've another friend who applied to Leeds / Leicester (i can't remember sorry!) and apparently they don't interview international applicants..so she got an offer without interview... and when i had my interview at Cambridge my interviewer said that he went to KL and he knew about Taylors and Sunway College....

hope this helps a bit

all the best!

**autumn rose** · 17-06-2005, 04:43 PM

Every year around october/november, cambridge would send some interviewers here to Malaysia.. i'm absolutely sure of that coz i've seen my seniors go for interviews in college..
more than half of the universities have interviews conducted in malaysia.. so although my choices are quite limited, there are still quite a lot of universities that i originally planned to apply..
if they don't call me for an interview, that's way better.. coz interview is the thing that i'm afraid of.. i think i can manage personal statement quite well.