GCSEs: Achieved grades constitute 50% of the students’ scores in the selection process at Leicester. 8 GCSE grades are taken into account and converted into a score out of 32 according to the following system: *A or 8/9 = 4 points, A or 7 = 3 points, B or 6 = 1 point.
A-levels: Predicted grades aren’t used when selecting students for medicine interviews beyond checking if they meet minimum entry requirements.
Personal Statement + Reference: The personal statement and the reference don’t play a significant role when selecting students for medicine interviews. According to Leicester, they are only used in borderline cases.
UCAT: The UCAT score accounts for 50% of the total score in the selection process. The obtained UCAT scores are converted (excluding the SJT score, which isn’t considered when selecting for Leicester medicine interviews) according to the following scoring system:
Based on the above, each application is converted into a score out of 64. The top 1100 home students and top 100 international students are usually invited to an interview. Under this link, you’ll find the detailed document outlining the scoring system and selection process at Leicester Medical School.
🇬🇧 Home Students: Historically the lowest scores to get a medicine interview at Leicester averaged around 2150-2200 (for 2022 entry the UCAT cut-off at Leicester was 2370). Converted into the scoring system used by Leicester (together with the predicted and achieved grades), the lowest score to get an interview was 57/64 in the past years.
🌍 International Students: Historically, interview UCAT cut-off scores for international students at Leicester averaged around 2150-2200. Converted into the scoring system used by Leicester (together with the predicted and achieved grades), the lowest score to get an interview was also 57/64 for international students.
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Typically Leicester starts sending out invitations for medicine interviews around December. Invitations are then sent out on a rolling basis until all interview spots have been filled (usually around February of the application cycle).
🇬🇧 Home Students: For 2022 entry, 2360 students applied for medicine at Leicester and 1136 have been invited to a medicine interview (48%).
🌍 International Students: For 2022 entry, 514 international students applied for medicine at Leicester and 168 have been invited to a medicine interview (33%).
This year’s Leicester medicine interviews will most likely take place between December 2023 and March 2024. For the latest updates and the exact interview, dates check this page.
In the past years, Leicester Medical School has been conducting standard MMI interviews, which included 7-9 stations. Each station was led by a different interviewer and held in a different room (or breakout room during online interviews). In total, the interview lasts about 60-90 minutes. Both during the in-person and online medicine, MMIs students had about a minute of time to read the instructions before entering the station.
2022 Leicester Medicine Interviews:
Wondering what Leicester medicine interviews looked like in 2021/22? For 2021 and 2022 entry, Leicester conducted online interviews via an online platform called Blackboard Collaborative (used by many other medical schools too).
Below you can find a video with instructions recorded by Leicester, which was sent out to candidates before their online interview last year:
Leicester Medicine Interview Topics:
The interviewers at Leicester will assess you on a number of different qualities and skills including; your motivations and interest in medicine, insight into your strengths and weaknesses, ability to reflect, organisation, academic ability, problem-solving, ability to deal with uncertainty/risks and challenges, conscientiousness, insight into your health, communication skills, teamwork, compassion and empathy, resilience, ethical judgement.
🚀 TOP Tip: Have a look at the “🧠 Leicester Medicine Interview Questions” section below for sample interview questions that are likely to come up during your Leicester interview!
Preparing for medical school interviews requires more than just reading an article or doing a mock interview. It requires intentionality, structure and commitment. Luckily, with Medfully it is simpler and more efficient than ever:
🇬🇧 Home Students: For 2022 entry, 1136 students have sat Leicester medicine interviews, and 542 of them have received an offer (48% of those who sat the interview and 23% of all who applied).
🌍 International Students: For 2022 entry, 168 international students have been invited to medicine interviews at Leicester and 56 of them have received an offer (33% of those invited to the interview and 11% of all international students who applied).
Although the admissions officers at Leicester aim to reply to students as soon as possible, due to the number of applications each year, this can take a few weeks. Leicester notes that post-interview offers and rejections are usually sent out between January and the end of mid-May of the application cycle.
During the Leicester Medicine MMI, you’ll be assessed on a number of qualities. Below you can find these qualities with example interview questions for each one:
Motivations to study medicine:
Interest in medicine:
Your personality:
Problem-solving:
Communication skills:
Empathy and emotional intelligence:
Ethical judgement:
🚀 TOP Tip: Have a hard time answering any of the above questions? You’ll find insider tactics to tackle Leicester Medicine Interview Questions and formulate convincing and structured answers at Medfully - The Best Medicine Interview Preparation Resource.
Please note that these aren’t questions that have been asked at Leicester Medical School in past years. Publishing such information would be against Leicester’s policy. The above questions are adjusted for the interview style at Leicester Medicine Interview and are meant to give you a broad sense of the questions you may face.
Use The Reading Time Efficiently
During your Leicester medicine interview, you’ll have a minute of time to read the instructions about what to expect at the upcoming station. Although a minute may not sound like a lot of time to prepare, make sure you use that time efficiently.
First and foremost, read the question/scenario/topic carefully. Take your time, make sure you understand it, if not read through the instructions again. If you have some time left, try to come up with some points or examples that you can bring up to illustrate your arguments. You won’t have time to recite an answer in your head, but you can do a small brainstorming exercise.
In the last 5-7 seconds, take a few deep breaths and give yourself a motivational boost by saying “you can do it” before entering the station.
Be Passionate!
Chances are, you’ll be talking about your passion for medicine and motivations to study it during some of the stations at the Leicester MMI. To make your point come across, don’t just say how excited you are to join Leicester or work towards becoming a doctor - show it too.
Remember to keep an open body language (lean forwards, arms open, straight back) and smile when talking about medicine. Your non-verbal communication will demonstrate a genuine passion and may speak louder than words.
Practise With Strangers
MMIs are a bit like speed-dating. You have a short window to meet a complete stranger and convince them to like you. In terms of mindset and attitude, there is no better way to prepare for MMIs than to do mock interviews with as many people as you can find.
Practise with your dog, friends, family, teachers etc. The more people you expose yourself to during your interview preparation, the more comfortable you’ll be facing different interviewers every few minutes on the interview day.