University College London (UCL) Medicine Interview Questions (2025 entry)

About University College London Medical School (2025 Edition)

As one of the best medical schools in the country, UCL boasts of high student satisfaction, great iBSc options, varied teaching techniques and a brilliant location.

It places a lot of focus on careers and opportunities other than clinical medicine like paths pertaining to research, global medicine, medical policy and much more.

With great emphasis on student mental health, extra-curricular activities and a patient -centered approach to medicine, UCL is the perfect university for any medical student!

University College London Interview Information

😊 How does University College London select candidates for interviews?

A-Levels: A*AA. Biology and Chemistry are required, with either at A*.

GCSEs: Maths and English Language are required, both at B or grade 6.

The 2025 UCAS cycle will be the first year that UCL uses the UCAT to select candidates for interviews so there are currently no cut off scores published.

Interview offers are based on UCAT performance, assuming you have achieved all other academic requirements. The total UCAT score and the SJT score will be used to rank and select candidates to invite to interview.

From 2023 onwards, your personal statement is no longer considered within the interview selection process. However, UCL encourages applicants to use their writing as an opportunity for thoughtful reflection on their skills and experiences, considering how these have prepared them for a career in medicine. This includes evidencing attributes, skills, behaviours and values needed to work within the healthcare service.

🧬 What is the interview format?

The interview is an MMI format, and is expected to be in-person at the Bloomsbury campus for home students and online for international students. As UCL has only adopted this format in the 2024 cycle, there is limited information on how it is run specific to them.

📆 When will you get interview invitations?

Invitations are sent out on a rolling basis from December through to March via UCL's University Select system.

You would be receive an invitation at least one week before your interview.

👩 When are the interviews usually held?

The interviews are usually held from December through to March

☑ How will my interview be assessed?

Candidates will be asked a series of structured questions and will receive a score for their responses, in demonstrating the following values:

• Academic curiosity and interest in healthcare

• Motivation for and understanding of a career in medicine (including robustness for the course)

• Problem solving and reasoning ability

• Professional attitudes and values (factors such as flexibility, integrity, empathy, honesty, conscientiousness and compassion)

• Team work, leadership, resilience and individual strengths

• Communication skills (including verbal ability, listening skills, eye contact)

  
  

Further detailed information will be provided to candidates when they are invited to interview.

🏠How many applicants are there per interview (Home)?

3 applicants per interview spot

🌎 How many applicants are there per interview (International)?

17 applicants per interview spot

✨How likely is it that I will be given an offer after an interview?

There is a 72% chance of receiving an offer after an interview.

• A thorough understanding of your personal statement is essential as you may be asked about any aspect of it.

  
  

• From your experiences and reflections, be ready to provide summaries and examples of how they align with the values being assessed in interviews.
  

• UCL is very involved in public health and is proud of many of its staff and professors being involved in the NHS and health ministry. Have a good understanding of the structure of the NHS, its advantages, drawbacks, challenges, budget and services as it is possible you may be asked about some of these.

  
  

• Research UCL and note anything that stands out to you. This would form a good basis in understanding your motivation to study medicine at UCL and enable you to clearly articulate this if asked.

  
  

• Questions regarding current affairs in medicine have historically been a common favourite of UCL interviewers. Being up to date on the large, major developments in medicine that are currently in the news is highly beneficial
  

• If you are asked to give an example of where you have used one particular skill (e.g. teamwork), always try and incorporate a range of other skills as well (e.g. leadership, resilience, integrity). This will present as a well rounded candidate.

Check out our Medicine Interview Course!

Example Interview Questions

🔥 Motivation Interview Questions

• Can you tell me about the history of UCL?

• Tell me about your research project.

⚖️Medical Ethics Interview Questions

• What are the 5 pillars of medicine?

• How do we assess the capacity of a patient in order to obtain consent?

• How do we assess the capacity of a child in order to obtain consent?

• What are the laws surrounding euthanasia in this country?

• Your patient’s family members request that you do not tell him of his new cancers diagnosis. What actions would you take in this scenario?

• If you made a small mistake during an operation, would you tell the patient? You do not believe that your mistake will have any clinical impact on the patient or his recovery.

📰 NHS Interview Questions

• The structure of the NHS, its advantages, current challenges faced, budget and services offered.

• What difficulties and stresses are posed for GPs?

• Recently there has been a rise in the cases of measles. Do you know why?

• If you were made in charge of the NHS budget, where would you allocate your funds?

• What are the issues surrounding the NHS?

• What recent medical news have you recently come across?

• What sort of diseases are mentioned alongside stem cell research?

• What body system does cystic fibrosis affect the most?

• What method can be used for gene therapy?

🏨 Teamwork Interview Questions

Speak about opportunities or activities they have mentioned in their personal statement. (This is the ideal opportunity for students to elaborate and demonstrate to the interviewer that they are able to work well in a team, for example in a sports/ music team or Duke of Edinburgh.)

🏥 Work Experience Interview Questions

• What was your most memorable work experience moment?

• What did you learn from your work experience/tell me more about it

• What did you learn from your voluntary work/tell me more about it

UCL medical school operates as a traditional medical course- this involves a distinct separation of clinical and pre- clinical years along with a compulsory intercalated iBSc. Dissections rather than prosections provide a good grasp of anatomy. UCL is particularly proud of having a great number of intercalated iBSc options available for its medical students- from cardiovascular sciences to medical physics. Students carry out their placements at Royal Free Hospital, UCL Hospital and Whittington Hospital, all of which are at the forefront of medical treatment, where many of the doctors are presidents of their respective royal colleges.

At UCL Medical School all students are able to find a good-work life balance via the seemingly infinite numbers of societies to match any students interests- from academic to sport to arts to food. Many students are able to balance a part time job along with their studies, with a number of well-paying, flexible jobs available through the SU! Most first year student accommodation is within a 15 minute walk of the Medical School. Due to the large and frequently turning housing market, UCL students can choose who they wish to live with and start looking at properties as late as August, while students in smaller city universities have to choose their flatmates and properties after only a month of starting at university, which can be very stressful!

UCL has virtually every society one can think of- from the extremely popular societies such as sports, music and debating to niche interest societies such as bubble tea society, photography clubs and food society. Additionally, owing to the large number of international students, UCL has a large number of cultural societies, great for any one missing home or looking to learn about a new culture! Alongside the societies that help medical students mix with students from other courses, there is also varied student accommodation in first year along with numerous and large social places across the campus. Medical students are a family of their own but are very well integrated with students from all other courses!

UCL’s Medicine Society, commonly referred to as RUMS, is host to a multitude of events each year, renowned at UCL for their excellent organisation, diversity and regularity. Starting form Fresher’s Fairs to Final Year Ball, RUMS ensures that any students UCL experience is anything other than uneventful or boring! RUMS hosts events such as pub crawls, charity sporting events, many black-tie events, speed dating, quiz nights, themed parties (such as a James Bond themed night) and many others, along with the student- led RUMS committee being extremely responsive any event suggestions and feedback. RUMS is also vital to ensuring that despite the large size- 300+ students per year group- of UCL medical school, the atmosphere is warm, friendly and welcoming!

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