King's College London (KCL) Medicine InterviewFormat, Questions & Prep Tips

Why King's? What attracts you to studying medicine here specifically?

Reference KCL's clinical placements across the south London trusts (King's College Hospital, Guy's, St Thomas'), the strength in psychiatry/neuroscience teaching, and the integrated MBBS curriculum.

Why medicine, and not nursing or a related healthcare profession?

Honestly articulate what draws you to the diagnostic and management responsibilities of the medical role. Avoid dismissing other professions.

A patient confides that they have used recreational drugs the night before a planned procedure. They ask you not to tell the surgical team. What do you do?

Patient safety paramount — the team needs the information for anaesthetic decisions. Discuss honestly with the patient first; encourage them to disclose; if they refuse, your duty of candour overrides their confidentiality preference.

Should doctors be allowed to refuse to treat patients who use abusive language?

GMC guidance: doctors should not refuse care based on personal feelings, but have a right to refuse continued care in cases of abuse, with handover arrangements made. Engage with both autonomy and professional duty.

The NHS is considering charging patients £10 to attend GP appointments to reduce no-show rates. Discuss the ethics.

Pro: behavioural deterrent, resource recovery. Con: deters poorer patients (justice pillar), inequitable, contradicts NHS founding principle. Acknowledge complexity.

A patient's family member is angry that their relative's discharge has been delayed. (Actor present.)

Acknowledge feelings without admitting fault. Listen actively. Explain what you know about the delay. Offer concrete next steps (escalate to senior, get update from team).

A friend tells you they've been struggling with their mental health and asks you not to tell anyone. (Actor present.)

Validate their courage in opening up. Suggest support routes. Be honest about the limits of confidentiality if you're worried about their safety. Don't promise what you can't keep.

Here is a table showing rates of complications across three surgical units. What's your interpretation?

Look at sample sizes, confidence intervals, case-mix differences. Don't conclude one unit is "worse" without considering complexity of cases handled.

Explain what a randomised controlled trial is to a non-scientist.

Use a concrete example. Cover: random allocation, control group, blinding. Avoid jargon. Check understanding.

Tell me about a time you had to give feedback to someone who didn't want to hear it.

STAR framework. Reflect on the receiver's perspective and what you'd do differently.

What do you understand about the NHS's current workforce challenges?

Burnout, retention crisis, international recruitment, junior-doctor pay disputes, gaps in psychiatry/general practice. Show informed awareness without being doom-laden.

A patient with end-stage cancer asks for assisted dying. The UK does not currently permit this. How do you respond?

Acknowledge the patient's suffering and autonomy. Explain the current legal position. Discuss palliative care alternatives. Reference the ongoing UK parliamentary debate (Leadbeater Bill).

Why do you think KCL specifically asks about NHS values?

NHS Constitution values define how doctors should behave. KCL teaches and assesses on these from year 1. Show you've read the values list.

Describe a time when you failed at something. What did you learn?

Pick a genuine failure, not a humble brag. Reflect on what you changed afterwards.

Should the NHS prioritise treating non-UK residents for free?

Current policy: emergency treatment yes, planned care varies. Engage with both ethical and resource-allocation perspectives.