Cardiff Medicine Interview

Why Cardiff specifically?

Reference Cardiff’s integrated curriculum, the bilingual clinical environment, Welsh NHS clinical placements, and — if applicable — your interest in practising in Wales.

Why medicine, and not a related healthcare profession?

Honest articulation of what attracts you to clinical decision-making and the doctor role specifically. Don’t dismiss other professions.

A patient with a chronic condition refuses to follow medical advice. What’s your approach?

Respect autonomy. Explore why — cost, side-effects, mistrust, misunderstanding. Address the underlying issue without coercion.

Should the NHS provide treatments that work for some but not others without good evidence?

Engage with evidence-based medicine vs individual variation. NICE thresholds, the difference between population-level and individual-level decisions.

Tell me about a time you worked in a team and there was a conflict.

STAR framework. Focus on managing the conflict productively, not on who was right.

How would you explain to a patient that they need an investigation, when they don’t want to?

Listen to their concerns first. Provide information at their pace. Respect autonomy. Don’t coerce.

What does a career in medicine actually involve, beyond the clinical work?

Teaching, research, management, continuing education, multidisciplinary work, lifelong learning. Show informed understanding of the wider role.

A patient is upset about a long wait time for an appointment. (Actor present.)

Acknowledge the inconvenience. Explain pressures without making excuses. Offer concrete next steps. Don’t apologise for clinical decisions.

A friend confides they’re struggling with anxiety and asks you not to tell anyone. (Actor present.)

Validate. Suggest support routes. Be honest about the limits of confidentiality if you were worried about their safety.

Should patients be able to access their own medical records online?

Pro: autonomy, transparency, error checking. Con: misinterpretation, anxiety, family-confidentiality issues. The NHS Patient Online programme is the current direction of travel.

Describe a complex topic from your studies to me as if I were a 12-year-old.

No jargon. Vivid analogy. Check understanding. Cardiff scores clarity.

What concerns you most about working in the NHS today?

Workforce burnout, retention crisis, primary-care access, junior-doctor disputes. Show informed awareness with realism and a sense of purpose.

A doctor disagrees with the team’s clinical plan. What should they do?

GMC duty to raise concerns. Patient safety first. Constructive escalation through proper channels. Not adversarial.

How will you cope with the workload of medical school?

Concrete strategies for wellbeing: exercise, social connection, hobbies, knowing when to ask for help. Avoid abstractions.