Free practice questions for the Kent & Medway (KMMS) medicine interview, with the interview format taken from the university's own admissions pages.
Kent and Medway has previously run six short stations of about seven minutes each plus one longer group station of about 40 minutes, but says it does not commit to the same number or type of stations each year. Stations cover professional knowledge, problem solving, compassion, role play, honesty and integrity, and a group activity. You are scored rather than ranked, usually on an average, though a very strong single station can be flagged for discussion. Home applicants interview in person at the Canterbury campus and you sign a non disclosure agreement. Check your invitation for current timings.
Original MedicHut practice questions. Real interviews may differ.
Beyond a desire to 'help people', what are your specific reasons for choosing medicine over other caring professions such as nursing, physiotherapy, or being a paramedic?
1. What is it about the role of a doctor that particularly attracts you?
2. What have you learned from your work experience that confirmed this choice?
3. How does the path of lifelong learning in medicine appeal to you?
A medical career involves significant personal sacrifice and can be emotionally draining.
1. What have you learned from your research or work experience about the more challenging aspects of being a doctor?
2. Describe a time you have had to manage a stressful or emotionally difficult situation.
3. What specific strategies will you use to maintain your own wellbeing and resilience throughout your career?
Think about a specific interaction you observed between a healthcare professional and a patient during your work experience.
1. Describe the situation and what made the interaction memorable.
2. What specific skills did the healthcare professional use?
3. How did this experience deepen your understanding of what it means to be a good doctor?
Imagine it is fifteen years from now and you are an established doctor. What do you hope to have achieved in your career?
1. What specialty or area of medicine interests you most at this stage and why?
2. Beyond your clinical duties, how else might you contribute to the medical profession or your community?
3. What legacy would you like to leave behind?
Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) has a mission to serve the healthcare needs of the local region, including coastal and rural communities.
1. Why does the prospect of training in Kent and Medway specifically appeal to you?
2. What health challenges do you think might be particularly relevant to these populations?
3. How has your own background or experience prepared you to learn and work within this type of community setting?
Follow-up: Some might argue that training in a large metropolitan city offers a more diverse clinical experience. How would you respond to that?
Our curriculum features early clinical contact, allowing students to interact with patients from the very first weeks of the course.
1. What do you believe are the main advantages of this approach compared to a more traditional curriculum?
2. How does this style of learning fit with your personal study methods?
3. What challenges might you face when applying scientific knowledge in a clinical setting so early in your training?
KMMS is a collaboration between Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Kent. You will be a student of both institutions.
1. What opportunities might arise from studying at a medical school that is part of two distinct universities?
2. How would you ensure you made the most of the resources and communities available at both campuses?
3. How do you think this partnership model benefits the medical students and the wider region?
Imagine you have just started your first year at KMMS. You are living in Canterbury, a historic but relatively small city.
1. What specific steps would you take to integrate into the medical school and the local community?
2. What kind of extra-curricular activities would you be interested in pursuing here?
3. How do you plan to achieve a healthy work-life balance while studying medicine?
Think about a healthcare professional you observed during your work experience. Describe a non-clinical skill they used that you considered highly effective.
1. What was the skill and in what context was it used?
2. Why was this skill so important for the patient's care in that moment?
3. How can you work on developing this skill yourself before and during medical school?
Not every day in healthcare is dramatic or exciting. Describe one aspect of your work or volunteering experience that you found mundane or repetitive.
1. What was the task and why did you find it mundane?
2. How did you maintain your motivation and standard of work?
3. What did this teach you about the day-to-day reality of working in a healthcare environment?
During your work experience, did you witness any situations where members of a healthcare team had a professional disagreement?
1. Describe the situation briefly, without breaching confidentiality.
2. How was the conflict resolved?
3. What did you learn about the importance of communication and respect within a multidisciplinary team?
The role of a doctor often involves dealing with high levels of uncertainty.
1. Can you give an example from your work experience where a diagnosis or treatment plan was not clear-cut?
2. How did the medical team manage this uncertainty when communicating with each other and the patient?
3. How do you feel about embarking on a career where you will not always have all the answers?
You are a first-year medical student. You see a close friend looking at notes on their phone during an important closed-book exam. You know they have been struggling with their studies and have a difficult home life.
1. What are the key issues at stake in this situation?
2. What action, if any, would you take?
3. Explain the reasoning behind your decision.
Follow-up: After the exam, your friend admits they cheated and begs you not to tell anyone, promising it will never happen again. What do you do?
Medical school is known to be academically and emotionally demanding.
1. Describe a time you faced a significant academic or personal setback.
2. What specific strategies did you use to manage the stress and overcome the challenge?
3. How will you apply these coping mechanisms to the pressures of a medical degree?
What, in your opinion, is the difference between empathy and compassion in a clinical setting?
1. Provide a definition for each term.
2. Give an example of how a doctor might demonstrate compassion for a patient who is anxious about a procedure.
3. Why is it important for a doctor to be compassionate, not just empathetic?
You are on a ward placement and overhear a junior doctor making a joke to a nurse about a patient's weight, just after leaving the patient's room.
1. How would this make you feel?
2. What, if anything, would you do or say in that moment?
3. Why is it important for medical professionals to maintain a high standard of conduct, even in private conversations?
This is a group task. As a team, you have 15 minutes to plan a health awareness event for a local secondary school in a rural part of Kent. Your goal is to promote healthy living and careers in healthcare.
On the flip chart provided, you must produce a clear plan that covers:
1. Two health topics relevant to teenagers that you would focus on, and why.
2. One interactive activity to engage the students.
3. How you would promote the event to ensure good attendance.
Be prepared to present your plan as a group.
Group discussion practice , fictional hospital service improvement task. Your group has 15 minutes to recommend TWO of the following five initiatives for a hospital that has a limited improvement budget: (A) improve discharge information for patients, (B) expand interpreter access, (C) introduce staff rest-area improvements, (D) provide transport information for people attending outpatient appointments, or (E) improve wayfinding signs. No reliable cost or outcome estimates are supplied.
Discuss what additional information you need, who should be consulted, how you would weigh equity, safety and practicality, and reach a reasoned provisional recommendation. Every participant should contribute. This is not a real clinical discharge decision.
Follow-up: After 10 minutes another participant challenges the group’s assumptions. How can you respond constructively and adjust the proposal?
This is a group task. Your group is a student committee that has been given a budget of £500 to improve student wellbeing at the medical school.
Your task is to decide how to spend this money. A list of potential ideas with estimated costs is provided (e.g., mindfulness app subscriptions, a coffee morning, therapy dog session, new furniture for the common room).
In 15 minutes, you must reach a group consensus on a final plan and present it on the whiteboard, justifying your choices.
This is a group task. You are given a box of assorted items (e.g., paper cups, straws, tape, paper clips, string). Your challenge is to work as a team to build the tallest possible free-standing structure in 10 minutes.
For the first 5 minutes of the task, you must not speak. You may only communicate non-verbally.
For the final 5 minutes, you may speak freely to complete and refine your structure.
You are the captain of a university sports team. One of your most talented players has missed several important training sessions without giving a reason. Their absence is affecting team morale and performance.
1. How would you approach this player to discuss the issue?
2. What steps would you take if they became defensive or refused to engage?
3. Why is the ability to have difficult conversations and provide constructive feedback important for a doctor?
Follow-up: The player tells you they have been missing training because they are acting as a carer for a sick family member. How does this change your approach?
This is a group task. A new public health campaign is needed to increase uptake of childhood vaccinations in an area of Medway with low rates. As a group, design the key elements of this campaign.
You have 20 minutes to discuss and outline on a flip chart:
1. A memorable slogan or key message for the campaign.
2. Two different methods you would use to get this message to parents (e.g. social media, community events, posters).
3. How you would address common myths and misinformation about vaccines.
This is a group task. Your group will be given a short, complex ethical scenario with no clear right answer. You have 15 minutes to discuss the case together.
Your task is not to reach a unanimous decision, but to explore the different viewpoints and ethical principles at play.
Ensure everyone in the group has a chance to contribute. At the end, an assessor will ask one member of the group, chosen at random, to summarise the main arguments that were discussed.
You are a medical student volunteer on a hospital ward. An elderly patient seems distressed and confused. They tell you they have been waiting for hours to see a doctor and that nobody cares about them. The interviewer will play the role of the patient.
Your task is to approach them, listen to their concerns, and offer appropriate reassurance and help within the boundaries of your role.
A friend who is not studying science is interested in your course. They ask you to explain what 'homeostasis' is. The interviewer will play the role of your friend.
Using simple language and an analogy, explain this fundamental biological concept to them. Check their understanding as you go.
You are working on a group project with another student. You notice that your partner has not completed their section of the work, and the deadline is tomorrow. The interviewer will play the role of your project partner.
Approach them to discuss the situation, find out what has happened, and agree on a plan to complete the work on time.
You are a volunteer at a GP surgery. A patient comes to the reception desk and is very angry because their repeat prescription is not ready. The receptionist is busy on the phone. The interviewer will play the role of the angry patient.
Your role is to speak with the patient, acknowledge their frustration, and explain what you can do to help.
You are tasked with breaking some bad news in a non-clinical context. You are the treasurer of a university society. You must inform the society president that you have made a mistake in the budget, and there is not enough money for the planned end-of-year social event. The interviewer will play the role of the society president.
Explain the situation clearly, take responsibility for the mistake, and suggest a possible solution.
The interviewer will play the role of a parent at a school open day. They are thinking of encouraging their child to study medicine, but they believe it means having no social life for five years.
How would you respond to their concern? Discuss the importance of work-life balance in medicine and how you plan to manage it.
A 17-year-old patient who is a talented athlete requires surgery for a knee injury. The surgery would repair the damage but would mean they miss the national championships in two months. They are refusing the surgery, preferring a short-term injection that will allow them to compete but may lead to long-term joint damage.
1. Discuss the ethical principles in conflict here.
2. What is the doctor's role in this situation?
3. How would you counsel the patient to ensure they can make a fully informed decision?
An 85-year-old patient with severe infection may need intensive care. The patient now lacks capacity. Years ago they wrote that they would not want “heroic measures”, but no specific treatment or circumstances were identified. Their family asks the team to attempt every available treatment.
1. Why does the phrase “heroic measures” not automatically establish a valid and applicable refusal of a particular treatment?
2. How should the team assess likely benefits and burdens, the patient’s values and wishes, and the best-interests or overall-benefit framework that applies?
3. How should clinicians involve the family and address disagreement compassionately?
Follow-up: What changes if clinicians discover a legally valid and applicable advance refusal of the specific treatment under consideration?
A pharmaceutical company has developed a new, extremely expensive drug for a rare genetic disorder. Due to its cost, the NHS can only afford to treat 50 patients per year nationwide. How should the NHS decide which 50 patients receive the treatment?
1. What ethical principles should guide this allocation of a scarce resource?
2. What factors could be used to create a fair selection process?
3. Why are these kinds of decisions so challenging for healthcare systems?
You are a medical student on placement. Your supervising doctor leaves their computer unlocked, showing another patient's confidential records. You are alone in the room.
1. What is the immediate risk in this situation?
2. What action should you take?
3. How would you approach your supervising doctor about this breach of professionalism later on?
Follow-up: What if you were worried that reporting the doctor could lead to them giving you a bad report for your placement?
The NHS is facing record-long waiting lists for elective surgery.
1. What impact does this have on patients and their families?
2. What are some of the reasons for these long waiting times?
3. What are the ethical challenges involved in prioritising patients on a waiting list?
There is a national shortage of GPs, particularly in rural and coastal areas like Kent.
1. Why do you think fewer medical graduates are choosing to become GPs?
2. What could be done to make general practice a more attractive career option?
3. How might this shortage impact patient care in the community?
The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to change medicine. How do you see AI impacting the work of a doctor in the next 10 to 20 years?
1. What are two potential benefits of using AI in healthcare?
2. What is one potential risk or ethical concern?
3. Will AI ever replace the role of a human doctor? Justify your answer.
The NHS is founded on the principle that it is 'free at the point of use'. Some people have suggested that charging a small fee for missed GP appointments could reduce waste.
1. What are the arguments in favour of such a policy?
2. What are the arguments against it?
3. Overall, do you think this would be a positive or negative change for the NHS and its patients? Explain your reasoning.
Medicine is a field of lifelong learning. The knowledge you gain in medical school will need constant updating.
1. How will you ensure your medical knowledge remains current 10 years after you graduate?
2. Where would you go to find reliable, evidence-based information?
3. How do you currently distinguish between a reliable scientific source and misinformation online?
Think of a complex scientific topic you have studied that has direct relevance to medicine (e.g., nerve impulse transmission, protein synthesis, immunity).
1. Explain the basic principle of this concept in simple terms, as if to a member of the public.
2. Why do you personally find this topic interesting?
3. How does this concept illustrate the importance of a strong scientific foundation for clinical practice?
Imagine you are a first-year student and are finding the pace and volume of the anatomy module overwhelming. Your usual study method of reading textbooks is not effective.
1. What would be your first step to address this problem?
2. What alternative learning strategies could you try?
3. Who would you ask for help or support within the medical school?
Follow-up: A fellow student tells you that you just need to 'memorise more' and 'work harder'. How might you respond?
What is your understanding of 'evidence-based medicine'?
1. Can you explain the concept in your own words?
2. Why is it important for doctors to use an evidence-based approach in their practice?
3. Can you think of any potential limitations of relying purely on data from large clinical trials?
You are a junior doctor at the start of your shift. The nurse hands you a list of four patients to see. Please prioritise the order in which you would see them and explain your reasoning.
Patient A: 68-year-old, post-operative day 2, comfortable and asking for a discharge letter for tomorrow.
Patient B: 25-year-old with asthma, who has a new and persistent cough.
Patient C: 75-year-old with dementia, who has a high temperature and seems more confused than usual.
Patient D: 50-year-old with chest pain, whose initial blood tests and heart trace were normal.
Please look at this chart. It shows 'practice figures' for the percentage of adults who are physically active in three different areas: an inner city, a suburb, and a rural village.
(The chart would show: Inner City 45%, Suburb 65%, Rural Village 50%).
1. Briefly summarise what the data shows.
2. What are some possible reasons for the lower activity level in the inner city and rural village compared to the suburb?
3. If you were a public health official for the rural village, what one initiative might you suggest?
A new screening test is being considered for 'Condition X'.
The disease affects 1 in 1,000 people.
The test is 99% sensitive (it correctly identifies 99% of people with the disease).
The test is 95% specific (it correctly identifies 95% of people without the disease).
If 100,000 people are tested:
1. Without doing complex maths, do you think a positive result means a person is very likely to have the disease? Explain your reasoning.
2. What is the problem of a 'false positive' for both the patient and the NHS?
You need to schedule four 30-minute patient appointments in a morning clinic that runs from 9:00am to 11:00am. You have Mr. Jones, Mrs. Smith, Miss. Ali, and Mr. Chen.
- Mrs. Smith can only come after 10:00am.
- Mr. Jones needs to be your first patient of the day.
- Miss. Ali needs the last appointment of the morning as she is travelling from far away.
Based on this, what is the schedule of appointments? Explain your logical steps.
You are given the following 'practice figures' about smoking rates and life expectancy in two fictional towns, Northtown and Southville.
- Northtown: Smoking rate 30%; Average life expectancy 75 years.
- Southville: Smoking rate 10%; Average life expectancy 82 years.
1. What is the apparent relationship between smoking and life expectancy based on this data?
2. What other factors, apart from smoking, could contribute to the difference in life expectancy between the two towns?
3. Why is it important not to assume that correlation equals causation?
Reflect on a time when you made a significant mistake. This could be in your studies, work, or another area of your life.
1. Briefly describe the situation and the mistake that was made.
2. What were the immediate steps you took to rectify the situation?
3. What did you learn from this experience, and how has it changed your behaviour since?
Follow-up: How would you react if you saw a senior colleague make a mistake and try to blame it on you?
Tell us about a time you worked as part of a team to achieve a specific goal.
1. What was the goal and what was your individual role within the team?
2. What was the biggest challenge the team faced, and how was it overcome?
3. What did you learn about your own strengths and weaknesses when working with others?
Describe a time when you received constructive criticism that was difficult to hear at first.
1. What was the context and what was the feedback?
2. How did you react in the moment, and how did your feelings change over time?
3. How did you use that feedback to improve yourself or your work?
Follow-up: Conversely, how would you approach giving sensitive, constructive feedback to a peer?
Describe the most significant non-academic challenge you have ever faced.
1. What was the situation?
2. What steps did you take to manage the challenge, and who did you turn to for support?
3. What personal qualities did you discover or develop in yourself as a result of this experience?
Kent and Medway uses this format for medicine: MMI with a group station. Interviews are held in person.
Interview timing for Kent and Medway: Mid December for Home applicants, with international dates confirmed separately. Always check the university's own admissions pages for this year's dates.
Kent and Medway assesses: Professional knowledge, Problem solving, Compassion and caring, Communication, Honesty and integrity, Teamwork.
No. They are 50 original MedicHut practice questions, written to match Kent and Medway's published interview format. Universities do not share their real questions, so your interview may differ.
Answer each question out loud with the timer on, then note what you would change. When you feel ready, a mock interview with a trained MedicHut interviewer gives you personal feedback.
Kent and Medway medical school guide: entry requirements and interview advice
Book a Kent and Medway mock interview for £69 with a trained MedicHut interviewer, or a live MMI circuit for £89. Both include detailed feedback on every answer.
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