Imperial College London Medicine InterviewFormat, Questions & Prep Tips

You are a doctor about to break bad news to a patient about a serious diagnosis. Demonstrate how you would handle the conversation. (Actor present.)

Use SPIKES or a similar framework: Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathy, Strategy. Show empathy actively (silence, mirroring), check understanding, signpost next steps. Don't rush.

A friend confides in you that they're thinking about quitting medical school because they're struggling with their mental health. How do you respond? (Actor present.)

Listen actively, validate feelings, suggest support routes (medical school welfare, GP, peer support). Don't give clinical advice. Don't promise confidentiality you can't keep.

You are a junior doctor handing over a patient to a colleague who is visibly distracted. The colleague isn't listening. (Actor present.)

Acknowledge the issue, refocus the handover (SBAR framework), document what was communicated. Patient safety is the priority.

A close friend asks you to write them a sick note for an exam they didn't prepare for. What do you do and why?

Honesty (one of the four pillars + GMC duty). Discuss why dishonesty here harms the friend, the profession, and the institution. Suggest legitimate alternatives.

A patient with severe pain refuses opioid pain relief because of personal beliefs. What's your approach?

Respect autonomy. Explore why — sometimes refusal masks misunderstanding. Offer alternatives. Document. Don't coerce.

Should the NHS prioritise younger patients over older patients when allocating scarce treatments (e.g. ICU beds during a pandemic)?

Engage with QALY-based reasoning vs equity arguments. Acknowledge both perspectives. Avoid concrete answers without nuance.

Interpret this table of patient outcomes after a new surgical procedure. Identify the most concerning trend.

Read systematically: rows, columns, units, sample sizes. Distinguish trends from outliers. State assumptions about missing context.

Here are three pieces of evidence on a new drug: a Phase III trial, a meta-analysis and an observational study. How would you weight them?

Hierarchy of evidence: RCT > meta-analysis (if it pools high-quality RCTs) > observational. Discuss confounding, selection bias, sample size.

Why Imperial specifically?

Reference Imperial's science-heavy curriculum, the integrated BSc, the central-London teaching hospitals (Charing Cross, St Mary's, Hammersmith), and the strong research culture.

Tell me about a time you led a team. What did you learn?

STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Reflect on what you'd do differently. Imperial values reflection over polished narratives.

Explain a complex concept from your A-Level work as if I were a 12-year-old.

No jargon. Use a vivid analogy. Check understanding mid-explanation. Imperial scores clarity over depth on this station.

Describe the role of an FY1 doctor to someone who has never worked in healthcare.

Cover: rota, on-calls, broad responsibilities, supervision structure, learning curve. Be realistic — Imperial wants to see informed motivation.

A drug rep offers you an expensive dinner in exchange for prescribing their product. What's your view on this?

GMC explicitly prohibits this. Discuss why: undermines patient trust, distorts clinical judgement, harms equitable access. Reference Good Medical Practice 2024.

Why did you choose [topic mentioned in your personal statement]?

Have a 1-minute and 3-minute answer ready for every claim in your statement. Imperial probes the most original-sounding ones.

A patient is angry and shouting at you because they've been waiting 4 hours. (Actor present.)

De-escalate: acknowledge feelings, apologise for the wait (not for medical decisions), explain the reason, offer what you can do next.