Personal Statement

Non-academic aspects of the application, such as personal statement and interviews, are just as important in gaining an admission offer from any medical school in the world. The personal statement – an essay of 4,000 characters for the UK, around 500 word essay for Ireland & NUS, 300 word essay for NTU  – narrates your motivation for medicine as well as any academic, extracurricular, and professional experiences you had that make you a suitable and exceptional candidate for consideration.

The deadline to submit your personal statement is the same as the UCAS application deadline: October 15th!
Deadline for NUS & NTU: Mid-March
Deadline for Ireland: Throughout February

Interviewing

Candidates with great scores and personal statements are then shortlisted for the interview stage. Each university conducts interviews differently. Some prefer panels of admissions officers and professors, while others like MMIs (multiple mini interviews), where students rotate around different stations, each with a different question and a time limit for your answer. The questions generally test your personal motivation to study medicine at their specific university. They also care about your personal qualities such as empathy, leadership, and communication skills. Some universities ask factual, knowledge-based questions, and almost all want you to demonstrate your knowledge about current affairs in medicine and healthcare systems. Finally, interviews may test your ability to role play and analyse ethical scenarios that you may encounter as a doctor later on.