Exeter Medicine InterviewFormat, Questions & Prep Tips

Why medicine, and why Exeter?

Reference the BMBS curriculum, the South West clinical placements (Devon, Cornwall, Somerset), the emphasis on patient-centred care, and the small-group teaching environment. Avoid generic "I love the countryside" answers.

Exeter places students across South West Trusts. How do you feel about training in rural and coastal communities?

Reflect authentically. Discuss the value of seeing diverse healthcare contexts. Acknowledge the practical implications (travel, accommodation). Show you have engaged with what regional placements actually mean.

How would you build a therapeutic relationship with a patient who is reluctant to discuss their symptoms?

Build trust slowly. Open questions. Active listening. Acknowledge what they've shared. Don't push too hard on first meeting. Reflect on the role of the consultation environment and time.

How would you explain a serious diagnosis to a patient?

Find a private setting. Warning shot. Plain language. Pause for reaction. Empathy. Check understanding. Plan next steps together. Reference SPIKES framework if you know it.

A patient with capacity refuses life-sustaining treatment. What do you do?

Autonomy is paramount once capacity is established. Provide clear information. Explore reasons. Involve the wider team. Don't coerce. Reference GMC Good Medical Practice.

Should the NHS prioritise face-to-face consultations over telemedicine going forward?

Balance access benefits of telemedicine against clinical depth of face-to-face. Discuss patient preference, equity (digital exclusion), and the appropriate use of each modality. Take a reasoned position.

(Possible station with simulated patient) A patient has missed several appointments and is now presenting with worsening symptoms. Speak to them.

Don't lecture or judge. Explore reasons for missed appointments (transport, work, anxiety, caring responsibilities). Build trust. Focus on the current concern and plan future engagement together.

Tell me about a time you adapted your communication for someone with very different views from your own.

STAR framework. Focus on listening and finding common ground. Reflect on what you learned about respectful disagreement.

What concerns you most about a career in medicine?

Workload, burnout, emotional weight, NHS workforce crisis, the South West's specific workforce pressures. Show informed self-awareness and coping strategies.

A colleague at your work-experience placement makes a derogatory comment about a patient. What do you do?

Don't engage with the comment. Speak to them privately later if it's a junior colleague. Escalate to a supervisor if it's serious or repeated. Reference GMC duty of candour and professionalism.

Describe a meaningful experience that shaped your decision to study medicine.

Pick one moment to go deep on. Reflect on what shifted in your thinking, not just what you observed. Avoid clichés about "wanting to help people".

(Possible station) Here is a chart showing health outcomes by South West postcode. What does it show, and what are the implications?

Describe what you see before interpreting. Note correlations with deprivation, rurality and coastal/inland divides. Discuss the role of medicine, public health and policy. Avoid sweeping generalisations.

Is it appropriate for doctors to refuse to treat patients who refuse vaccination?

Discuss the GMC duty to treat all patients without discrimination. Engage with the tension between professional duty and personal risk. Reference policy on conscientious objection. Take a reasoned position.

Tell me about a time you received critical feedback. How did you respond?

Genuine example. Focus on how you processed the feedback and what you changed. Exeter values reflective practice.

Why is patient-centred care emphasised in modern medicine?

Discuss shared decision-making, autonomy, better outcomes when patients are engaged, and the shift away from paternalistic models. Reference Exeter's curricular emphasis on the doctor-patient relationship.