How to prepare for Oxford GEM interviews?

[kinglouie808]

Hi,

I've applied for the GEM 2010 entry and was wondering if anyone whose had an Oxford GEM interview in the past could give me a few pointers on how to prepare, typical questions asked, etc.

After skimming through the threads already available, I haven't found much helpful information, because everyone's experience is so different.

My main question is: should I be preparing a lot of those wishy-washy personal questions ("Are you a team player? What are your communication skills?" etc) or should I be focussing more on hardcore scientific questions, current research, current issues, etc?

Thanks for your help!

[sara7000]

hey i have a private message from an applicant last year and he/she got in. ill forward it to u, might give u some idea about what to do

[dentategyrus]

any help/advice would be great - btw anyone heard back from the colleges? and if so, which ones? looks like magdalen and grempleton have sent out invites.....anyone else?

[zhangyuzhi]

any help/advice would be great - btw anyone heard back from the colleges? and if so, which ones? looks like magdalen and grempleton have sent out invites.....anyone else?

I have yet to receive any college invites, you?

[dentategyrus]

no, nothing.

[hidemyemailplease]

hey i have a private message from an applicant last year and he/she got in. ill forward it to u, might give u some idea about what to do

Sara could you also forward me the message? It would be really helpful!

Thanks

[Chwirkytheappleboy]

hey i have a private message from an applicant last year and he/she got in. ill forward it to u, might give u some idea about what to do

Sara please could you send that to me?

[sara7000]

ill post it here people but only on ONE CONDITION: You have to wish me luck for my undergraduate interview at oxford. DEAL or NO DEAL? Lolz


"I've been doing a PhD so I didn't have much extra time to be honest, I probably spent a good week of proper work on it and a bit every now and then.

It has been a while since I thought about NHS interview stuff but off the top of my head I would look up:

the Darzi review and the reports that concern medical eduction... as that's what you're applying for (ie Tooke report, Walpott report and parts of the darzi review also).

The structure of the NHS and how PCTs get the money etc... that will lead you to the notion of an internal market within the NHS, the idea of private healthcare and finally to NICE and the £30,000 QALY rules (which I would recommend you read a fair bit about).

Any major topic in the news obviously, for me it was poly-clinics, euthanasia, the post-code lottery etc etc

You could also have a look at performance targets, its easy to slag them off but how else would you go about it improving.... A good book for this and for general critical thinking (which Oxford love) is 'the tiger that isnt'.

Its not about being able to reel off loads of random facts but more about having a fair knowledge that you can apply well (and most importantly) to back up your own opinion on the topics.

Some of the questions I can remember were.....

"I run an ITU, if you were in my position and three patients came in and you only had two beds how would you determine which patients get the treatment?"

"What was the major impediment to developing IVF?" (I know nothing about IVF by the way and after him guiding me all the way to the answer I still didn't get it lol)

"I'm a consultant what do you think my daily duties are?"

"what do you think are the main tenants of scientific rigour?"

There were lots about me personally as well. I would say on the whole there were two types of question one being problem solving (ie if you knew the answer they would move on to a question until you didn't and then make you work it out) and an ethics/realistic approach to medicine type question. But at Oxford all questions led to discussions and it was far more in-depth."

[zhangyuzhi]

thanks sara. seems they like politics.

[hidemyemailplease]

thanks sara, best of luck for your interviews!