Help! Interview 5th March!!

[Athiara]

Hi, i've got my leicester interview for A100 medicine on the 5th of March. Can anyone help me with a few questions i've got about the day in general? Thanks

1) What happens during the day in general?
2) Roughly how many questions are we asked during the interview?
3) How long does the interview normally last?
4) What types of questions are asked in the interview? So far i know that questions like why medicine, why leicester as asked but are we asked about us as a person where we can describe our hobbies/ interests and our work xp? And are any ethical or medical research type of questions asked?

5) After the interview when do we find out about their decision?
6) Any helpful hints and tips for the interview, im quite nervous lol?

Thanks

[stephymoo]

Hey I had an interview at Leicester in November and its not scary at all once your in there so dont worry!

When you get there you sign in and then go on a quick tour round the med school and a bit of the campus, parents can come too if they like.

You then get taken back to the main bit of the med school and you find out your interview groups and your times and you go sit in your groups area. Then your given a sheet with facts about the uni, the interview process and when you will hear- which is the end of march.

I can't really remeber how many questions I got asked but i know it was a lot less than in my Sheffield interview! It also lasted 5 minutes less than Sheffield- it was about 15mins.

The interviewers have NOT seen your personal statement so they know nothing about you so they do ask questions about hobbies, interests, you as a person but there really nothing to worry about at all there is only 2 people on the panel and they were really nice!

Useful tips??? ermmm try not to let what other people say in the waiting area distract you or put you off, try not to worry I know its impossible not to but once you get in the actual interview all the nerves go the waiting is the worst part by far!!

[Lizzie-Beth]

If you go back to the Leicester page and scroll down, you will see answers to all of your questions in previous threads. I would answer, but I am bored of repeating myself. I'm sorry, but I don't understand why people keep asking the same questions, when the answers are (literally) a few centimetres away?

[Athiara]

Thanks, i'm quite worried becuase im not sure how to prepare. Is it true that leicester dont like rehearsed answers for the interview questions becuase i no that keele don't. So far ive been reading the BBC news health section everyday to keep me upto date with recent issues. But im not sure what else can be done apart from reading your personaly statement. When im asked questions about myself would you advise me to give examples from my work xp and stuff? I've read through most of the previous threads and found that leicester pretty much allow you to lead the interview and ask questions on your responses, are they therefore looking for a persons ability to lead a conversation as well as their ability to communicate? Thanks

[bearcub]

my advice is to be yourself and don't over prepare.

[ivansamopalov]

Hi. My name is Ivan.
I am from Kharkov, Ukraine.
My wife must give a boy in two months.
in our country now very not quiet time .
we are afraid that not able to provide our future child. we want the best life for him.
may be someone will want him to adopt ?

ivansamopalov@yahoo.com

[stephymoo]

yeh don't reherse answers they will be able to tell if you do that and it could throw you if a question came up that you hadn't prepared for.

The interview was more like a chat than an 'interview' so it did seem to me that you did have some input into the direction of the interview. They sometimes asked questions on what I had previously said but sometimes they just deviated away to another topic.

Try looking up past interview questions and just mentally see if you could come up with some sort of answer then you will get an idea of the way to think.

They may ask you directly about your work experience ie what have you learnt from it but if they dont I would get it in there because they havent read your personal statement so wont have any idea about it.

I think the ability to lead a conversation comes into assesing overall quality of communication skills so they are probably looking to see if you can lead a conversation, hold a conversation and know when to stop to allow them to speak.

Hope that helps!

[Athiara]

Thansk so much for the help stephymoo, i've much calmer now becuase from reading your advise and other threads about the interview, i realise theres very little that can be done to prepare for the interview other then read your personal statement over and over again. Ive bulletpointed some points i would discuss for the following questions if asked:

1. Why medicine
2. Why leicester
3. Why not nursing
4. Strengths / weakness of me

But im a little stuck with the more open ended questions like tell me a little about yourself... im not sure what they are looking for, i would pobably end up talking about my work xp with St Johns ambulance and my hobbies and interests. But im not sure if thats the right points to make. Its the same for questions like how do you deal with stress, because currently i just play my drums when im stressed or go for a run, but its such a random question it could be steered in any direction, im scared i might steer it in the wrong direction. Any help? Thanks

[xylophonefairy]

If you go back to the Leicester page and scroll down, you will see answers to all of your questions in previous threads. I would answer, but I am bored of repeating myself. I'm sorry, but I don't understand why people keep asking the same questions, when the answers are (literally) a few centimetres away?

This.

And yes, those are the right kinds of things to say for the 'tell me about yourself' question. You need to make your answer positive, and relate it to medicine. Mention your strengths, they'll ask you about your weaknesses anyway so don't say that one.

Saying you go for a run when you deal with stress is fine. I got that question and said that I would just try and deal with the situation as calmly as I could and give off the stress later by jumping around in my room and throwing cushions around. Probably sounded like a maniac but it's the first thing that came into my head.

[stephymoo]

Yeh your work experience and the running thing are the right kind of things to say just be honest and tell them what you do in your spare time then its up to them to ask you what they want on it.

Try not to constantly be thinking about what direction the conversation is going in it might put you off answering the questions they aks you, just focus on the question at hand and if your stuck take a pause to think.