Free practice questions for the St George's (SGUL) medicine interview, with the interview format taken from the university's own admissions pages.
City St George's runs multiple mini interviews for all interviewing programmes. There are six stations of about 5 minutes each, including the time to read the question, with a 60 second break between stations, and the whole session is timetabled to last up to an hour. The five year MBBS is interviewed remotely through the SAMMI-Select platform, where answers are recorded. Graduate entry applicants interview in person at Tooting or online. Check your invitation for your own dates.
Original MedicHut practice questions. Real interviews may differ.
The General Medical Council outlines the duties of a good doctor. Think about the professionals you have observed or interacted with.
1. What do you consider to be the three most important qualities of a good doctor?
2. Why is each of these qualities essential for patient care?
3. How have you demonstrated one of these qualities in your own life?
Follow-up:
"A patient tells you they do not trust doctors anymore. How would you use these qualities to rebuild their trust?"
A career in medicine involves significant responsibility and can be highly demanding.
1. What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect of being a doctor?
2. How do you plan to manage this challenge as a medical student and future professional?
3. Why do you still wish to pursue medicine despite these known difficulties?
Follow-up:
"A close friend tells you they are dropping out of medical school because it is too stressful. What advice would you give them?"
The healthcare sector relies on a wide variety of professionals working together. You have applied to study medicine rather than nursing, physiotherapy or another allied health profession.
1. Why is medicine the right specific career path for you?
2. What have you learned about the unique role of a doctor that has confirmed this choice?
3. How does the role of a doctor differ from other healthcare roles in a multidisciplinary team?
Follow-up:
"A student nurse asks you: 'Many other professions now prescribe medication and lead clinics. Why do you still want to be a doctor?' How would you respond?"
Looking ahead ten years, what do you hope to have achieved in your medical career?
Please cover the following points:
1. What clinical or non-clinical interests you want to pursue.
2. How your current experiences have shaped these goals.
3. What challenges you anticipate facing as your career progresses.
"How would you ensure that you continue to develop your skills once you have qualified as a doctor?"
You are part of a student committee organising a medical careers event for local schools. One committee member suggests that you only need to invite the students with the highest predicted grades. Another member argues that the event should actively encourage students from diverse backgrounds to apply.
1. Why is diversity important within the medical workforce?
2. How does a diverse workforce benefit patients in the NHS?
3. What barriers might prevent students from diverse backgrounds from applying to medical school?
Follow-up:
"Your committee member asks: 'Should we not just focus on academic excellence?' How would you respond?"
You are attending a public health seminar. The speaker presents a short dataset about two local towns:
Town A: High average income, average life expectancy is 82 years.
Town B: Low average income, average life expectancy is 74 years.
1. What factors might explain the difference in life expectancy between these two towns?
2. Why do some demographic groups in the UK experience consistently poorer health outcomes?
3. What can the NHS do to help reduce these health inequalities?
Follow-up:
"The speaker says: 'Healthcare is free in the UK, so everyone has the exact same access to treatment.' Do you agree with this statement?"
You are attending a public health debate at university. The motion being discussed is: "The government has a duty to restrict individual choices to improve the health of the population."
1. What arguments could be made in favour of this motion?
2. What arguments could be made against it?
3. Can you give an example of a current or past public health policy that restricts individual choice?
Follow-up:
"An audience member says: 'People should have the right to make bad choices if it only harms themselves.' How would you respond to this statement?"
You are attending a student seminar on NHS core values. The tutor asks the group to discuss the concept of patient-centred care and how it influences daily medical practice.
1. How would you define patient-centred care?
2. Why is this approach important in modern healthcare?
3. Can you think of a situation where providing patient-centred care might conflict with what a doctor believes is medically best?
Follow-up:
"The tutor asks: 'If a patient demands a treatment that is not available on the NHS, how should a doctor handle the conversation?' What would you say?"
Technology is becoming increasingly important in healthcare. What do you think are the biggest benefits and risks?
Should doctors always embrace new technology if it has been shown to make healthcare more efficient?
You are attending a university seminar discussing the future of the NHS. The tutor asks the group to consider the growing pressures on the healthcare system over the next decade.
1. What do you consider to be one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare in the UK today?
2. How is this challenge currently impacting patients and NHS staff?
3. What steps could be taken to help manage or solve this issue?
Follow-up:
"The tutor asks: 'If funding was severely limited, how would you prioritise which services receive investment?' What would you say?"
You are captain of a university sports team. You have an important match tomorrow. One of your strongest players tells you that they have an injury but insists they are fit enough to play. At the same time, another player who is less experienced has been consistently attending training and is fully fit.
You are part of a university committee organising a student health conference. During meetings, one member repeatedly dominates the conversation and quickly dismisses suggestions made by other students.
1. How would you address this situation during a committee meeting?
2. What steps would you take to ensure all members feel their contributions are valued?
3. Why is it important to have diverse input in a team project?
Follow-up:
"You speak to this person privately. They say: 'I only do it because nobody else comes up with good ideas.' How do you handle this response?"
You are on a hospital placement observing a multidisciplinary team meeting. A junior doctor states that a patient is medically fit and should be discharged immediately to free up a bed. The occupational therapist disagrees, stating that the patient cannot safely manage stairs at home yet.
1. How should the team resolve this disagreement?
2. Why is it important for doctors to understand and respect the roles of other healthcare professionals?
3. How does effective multidisciplinary teamwork impact patient safety?
Follow-up:
"The junior doctor says: 'I am the doctor in charge of the ward today, so I will make the final decision.' What do you think about this statement?"
You are asked to choose between two students to lead a university project. One is highly experienced but tends to dominate others, while the other has less experience but is an excellent listener and team member. Who would you choose and why?
Would your answer change if the project had a very tight deadline?
You are observing a busy multidisciplinary team on an NHS hospital ward. The team includes doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and social workers. They are working together to arrange care for several patients.
1. What do you think is the most challenging part of working within a large healthcare team?
2. Why do these challenges exist in a hospital environment?
3. How can a team overcome these difficulties to ensure patient safety?
Follow-up:
"You notice that the physiotherapist and the junior doctor disagree on whether a patient is ready to be discharged. How should the team resolve this conflict?"
You are applying for a peer support scheme at medical school. You will be matched with a first year student to help them adjust to university life.
1. What personal qualities do you have that would make you a good peer supporter?
2. Tell us about a time you used these qualities to help someone through a difficult situation.
3. What boundaries would you need to set in this relationship?
Follow-up:
"Your assigned student tells you they failed their first exam and want to drop out. What would you do?"
Medical training and clinical practice can be highly demanding. The General Medical Council expects doctors to look after their own health and wellbeing.
1. Why is resilience such an important quality for a career in medicine?
2. Describe a time when you had to demonstrate resilience in your academic or personal life.
3. What coping strategies do you use when facing a highly stressful situation?
Follow-up:
"A fellow medical student tells you they are feeling overwhelmed by their workload and want to quit the course. What would you do?"
You have been elected as the welfare officer for a university medical society. Your role is to support students who are struggling with university life.
1. What qualities do you possess that would make you effective in this supportive role?
2. Can you give an example of a time when you successfully supported someone through a difficult period?
3. How would you maintain your own professional boundaries while helping others?
Follow-up:
"A student approaches you and says they are having financial difficulties and cannot afford their rent. What steps would you take?"
Medical school and clinical practice often involve working in high-pressure environments. Tell us about a time when you had to manage a task or situation under significant pressure.
Please describe:
1. What the situation was and why it was stressful.
2. The steps you took to manage the pressure.
3. What you learned about your own coping mechanisms.
Follow-up:
"How do you know when you are feeling overwhelmed, and what do you do to address it?"
Medical students and doctors must be able to reflect on their experiences and learn from their mistakes. Think of a specific mistake you have made or a setback you have faced.
1. Briefly explain the situation and what went wrong.
2. Describe how you reacted to the setback at the time.
3. Explain what you learned from the experience.
4. Detail how you have changed your approach since then.
Follow-up:
"Why is it important for a doctor to admit when they have made a clinical error rather than trying to fix it secretly?"
Medical students and doctors frequently receive feedback on their performance. This feedback is not always positive.
1. Describe a specific time when you received constructive criticism or feedback that you initially disagreed with.
2. How did you evaluate whether the feedback was fair and accurate?
3. What did you learn from the experience?
4. How did you change your behaviour as a result?
Follow-up:
"If a senior colleague gave you feedback that you felt was entirely unjustified, how would you address the situation professionally?"
Medical training is rigorous and requires students to continually identify areas where they need to improve.
1. What is one specific weakness or area for development that could affect your performance at medical school?
2. How did you identify this area for development?
3. What active steps are you taking to improve in this area?
Follow-up:
"You find that despite your efforts, this weakness is starting to negatively impact your clinical placements. What would you do next?"
Medical professionals must uphold honesty and integrity. They often need to have difficult conversations with patients, relatives, or colleagues.
1. Describe a specific situation where you had to be honest with someone despite it being uncomfortable.
2. How did you prepare for and approach the conversation?
3. What did you learn from this experience that will help you as a future doctor?
Follow-up:
"Looking back at the situation you described, is there anything you would do differently to improve how you communicated your message?"
Medical students must constantly adapt to new environments and learn practical procedures efficiently. Think of a time when you had to learn a completely new skill in a short amount of time.
- What was the skill and why did you need to learn it quickly?
- What specific strategies did you use to master the skill?
- What did this experience teach you about your own learning style?
Follow-up:
"Looking back, what is one thing you would do differently if you had to learn another complex skill under similar time pressure?"
A 17-year-old patient tells a doctor something highly personal and asks them not to tell their parents. What factors should the doctor consider before deciding whether the information can remain confidential?
You are observing a consultation in an NHS clinic. The doctor recommends a specific treatment that they believe will significantly improve a patient's long-term health. The patient is a competent adult. They politely but firmly refuse the treatment.
1. What ethical principles are relevant to this situation?
2. How should the doctor respond to the patient's refusal?
3. What steps should the doctor take to ensure the patient is making an informed decision?
Follow-up:
"The patient's partner suddenly interrupts and demands that the doctor forces the patient to have the treatment. How should the doctor handle this?"
Imagine a patient has cultural or religious beliefs that influence how they want their care to be delivered. How should a doctor approach this?
What if the patient's preference conflicts with what the doctor believes is best?
You are a junior doctor working in an NHS outpatient clinic. You are reviewing a patient's medical records before they are admitted for a routine surgery. You discover that the patient has a significant heart condition that they did not mention during their pre-assessment. This condition could make the surgery unsafe.
1. How would you approach this conversation with the patient?
2. What ethical principles are most relevant in this scenario?
3. Why might a patient choose to hide important medical information from a healthcare professional?
Follow-up:
"The patient says: 'I did not mention it because I was worried you would cancel my operation, and I really need it.' How does this change your approach?"
You are a junior doctor working in a respiratory clinic. Your next patient has severe lung disease but continues to smoke heavily against medical advice. A medical student shadowing you remarks that the patient is wasting NHS resources by refusing to quit smoking.
1. How would you respond to the medical student's comment?
2. Should a patient's lifestyle choices ever affect the standard of care they receive?
3. What guidance does the General Medical Council provide regarding personal beliefs and patient care?
Follow-up:
"The student then asks: 'Surely we should prioritise treatments for patients who actually listen to our advice?' How would you explore this view with them?"
You are on a hospital placement. A doctor has just explained a new treatment plan to a patient and left the room. The patient turns to you, looking worried and confused. They say: "I understand it all perfectly." However, their body language suggests they are unsure.
1. How would you start a conversation with this patient?
2. Why might a patient claim to understand a doctor when they actually do not?
3. What techniques can doctors use to check a patient's understanding?
Follow-up:
"The patient tells you: 'I did not understand a single word, but the doctor looked so busy I did not want to waste their time.' How would you respond?"
You are a student mentor at medical school. Your mentee is a first-year student. They have just failed an important written assessment. They approach you in the student union. They look very upset and say: "I am going to leave university. I am clearly not smart enough to be here."
1. How would you respond to this statement?
2. What underlying issues would you need to explore during this conversation?
3. What support services could you suggest they contact?
Follow-up:
"The mentee says: 'It is easy for you to say, you have never failed anything in your life.' How do you reply?"
You are on a clinical placement shadowing a GP. The doctor asks you to take a basic history from a patient with a chronic joint condition. While speaking to you, the patient suddenly becomes tearful and says they are struggling to cope with their daily routine.
1. How would you respond to the patient in this moment?
2. What verbal and non-verbal communication skills would you use to show empathy?
3. What steps would you take to ensure the patient receives the right support?
Follow-up:
"The patient asks: 'Do you think the doctor will be annoyed that I am crying?' What would you say?"
You are a medical student on a hospital placement. You are speaking to the daughter of an elderly patient in the day room. The daughter tells you that the medical team suspects her father has cancer. She begs you not to tell him because she thinks the news will upset him too much.
1. How would you approach this conversation with the patient's daughter?
2. What ethical principles must you consider regarding a patient's right to know their diagnosis?
3. What steps would you take immediately after this conversation finishes?
Follow-up:
"The daughter becomes angry and says: 'If you tell him, it will ruin his life. I will complain to the hospital manager.' How do you react?"
You are a medical student on an NHS clinical placement. You are sitting with a patient who is waiting for a routine endoscopy. The patient is visibly shaking. They start asking you complex questions about the risks of the procedure and the exact anaesthetic they will be given. You are not qualified to answer these details.
1. How would you approach the conversation to help calm the patient down?
2. How would you explain the limits of your knowledge without increasing their anxiety?
3. What steps would you take to ensure the patient gets the correct information?
Follow-up:
"The patient stands up and says: 'If you cannot even answer my questions, I do not trust this hospital. I am going home.' What do you do?"
You are leading a student volunteering project. You discover that a volunteer has not completed an important task, a member of the public has complained about the service, and you have a meeting beginning in 15 minutes. How would you decide what to deal with first?
A hospital has 120 outpatient appointments in a day. 25% are cancelled.
How many appointments remain?
Of the remaining appointments, a third run over their scheduled time. How many appointments run over?
You are participating in a university seminar on clinical trials. The tutor presents the following data from a recent study of a new pain medication:
- The new drug was effective in relieving pain for 60% of patients.
- A placebo was effective for 40% of patients in the same trial.
1. What initial conclusions can you draw from this data?
2. What other information would you need to decide if this drug is a significant improvement in patient care?
3. Why do clinical trials use placebos?
Follow-up:
"The tutor says: 'The trial only included 10 people in total.' How does this change your interpretation of the results?"
You are a junior doctor working on a busy hospital ward. You have three tasks that need your attention at the same time:
A. A nurse asks you to urgently see a patient who has just developed severe chest pain.
B. You need to complete a discharge summary so a patient can go home before the hospital pharmacy closes.
C. You need to bleep a senior doctor to ask for non-urgent advice about a third patient's medication.
1. In what order would you choose to complete these tasks?
2. What is your reasoning for prioritising them in this way?
3. How would you communicate your decisions to the rest of the healthcare team?
Follow-up:
"You go to see the patient with chest pain, but the senior doctor suddenly calls you back on your bleep. What do you do?"
A successful career in medicine requires a strong foundation in science, but doctors also need a wide range of non-clinical skills to care for patients effectively.
1. Describe an experience from your work or volunteering placements that demonstrated this to you.
2. What specific non-clinical skills did you observe being used?
3. How will you continue to develop these skills during your time at medical school?
Follow-up:
"Can you think of a situation where relying solely on scientific knowledge might actually harm the doctor-patient relationship?"
Think of a specific interaction you had during a work or volunteering placement that had a lasting impact on you.
Please discuss:
1. What made this interaction memorable?
2. How did it change your perspective on providing care or working with others?
3. How will you apply this lesson to your future studies?
Follow-up:
"If you had to handle a similar interaction again, is there anything you would do differently?"
Reflect on the time you spent observing or speaking to healthcare professionals during your work experience.
Please explain:
1. What you consider to be the most important thing you learned about their daily role.
2. A specific example that highlighted this for you.
3. How this insight has shaped your expectations of a medical career.
Follow-up:
"Did you observe any aspects of the doctor's role that you found surprising or unappealing?"
Effective communication is a core skill for doctors. Think about a time during your work experience or volunteering when you observed a healthcare professional communicating with a patient.
Please cover:
1. The context of the conversation.
2. The specific communication skills the professional used.
3. How the patient responded to this approach.
Follow-up:
"What challenges might doctors face when trying to communicate effectively on a busy NHS ward?"
You are speaking to a prospective student at an open day. They ask you why you have chosen to apply to St George's.
Explain your reasons to them. Make sure to cover:
1. What specific aspects of the course appeal to you.
2. How the university environment suits your learning style.
3. What you can contribute to the student community.
"The student tells you they are worried about managing the academic workload. What advice would you give them?"
Medical schools in the UK use a variety of teaching methods. These include problem-based learning, traditional lectures, and early clinical contact.
What do you know about the way medicine is taught at St George's?
Please address:
1. Which teaching methods you prefer and why.
2. How you have adapted to new ways of learning in the past.
"If you found that you were struggling with a specific teaching method, what steps would you take to improve your understanding?"
Studying in a busy city like London offers a unique environment for medical students.
Discuss your thoughts on living and studying in London. Please include:
1. What opportunities you hope to gain from being in the capital.
2. The potential challenges of studying in a major city.
3. How you plan to manage your wellbeing in this setting.
"How do you think training in London might affect the types of patients you see and the conditions you treat?"
Universities expect medical students to engage with the wider community outside of their academic studies.
How do you plan to get involved in student life at St George's?
Please consider:
1. What non-academic activities or societies you want to join.
2. How taking part in these activities will help you develop as a future doctor.
3. How you will balance these commitments with your coursework.
"If you had a major exam coming up and a mandatory society event on the same day, how would you handle the clash?"
You are attending a university tutorial. The tutor asks each student to briefly discuss a recent medical or scientific breakthrough they have read about.
Please tell us:
1. What specific area of research or breakthrough you would choose to discuss.
2. Why you find this topic particularly interesting.
3. How this research might impact future patient care.
Follow-up:
"What are some potential ethical issues that could arise from applying new scientific research in clinical practice?"
You are mentoring a younger student who hopes to study medicine. They tell you that they only study what is in their school syllabus and ask how they should expand their scientific knowledge.
1. What advice would you give them about finding reliable scientific resources?
2. What specific methods or sources have you used to keep your own knowledge up to date?
3. Why is self-directed learning important for a medical student?
Follow-up:
"The student says: 'I do not have time to read extra material because of my exams.' How would you respond?"
You are attending a medical school tutorial. The tutor asks the group to discuss evidence-based medicine. Another student says they think a doctor's personal clinical experience is always more important than scientific studies.
1. How would you explain the concept of evidence-based practice to this student?
2. Why is evidence-based practice essential in modern healthcare?
3. How should a doctor balance their own clinical experience with published research?
Follow-up:
"The student asks: 'What happens if a patient asks for a treatment that is not supported by the evidence?' How would you respond?"
You are helping to run a science revision session for your peers. One of your classmates is very frustrated because they cannot understand a complex topic, and they want to give up studying it entirely.
1. How would you support this classmate and encourage them not to give up?
2. Describe a specific topic from your own science studies that you found challenging.
3. What strategies did you use to overcome your difficulties with that topic?
Follow-up:
"Your classmate asks: 'How do you know when it is time to stop trying to figure it out yourself and ask a teacher for help?' What would you say?"
St George's uses this format for medicine: Multiple Mini Interview. There are 6 stations, each about 5 minutes. Interviews may be in person or online.
Interview timing for St George's: Interview invitations start in November, with interviews running through the winter. Dates for each course are published on the Interview Hub. Always check the university's own admissions pages for this year's dates.
St George's assesses: Empathy and respect, Communication, Ethical reasoning, Motivation for medicine.
No. They are 50 original MedicHut practice questions, written to match St George's'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.
St George's medical school guide: entry requirements and interview advice
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