St George's Medicine Interview

Why St George's specifically?

Reference the hospital co-location, the single-faculty health sciences focus, the diversity of the Tooting catchment, and early clinical exposure. Avoid generic London answers.

What appeals to you about studying medicine alongside other health sciences students?

Engage with interprofessional learning — working with future physiotherapists, paramedics, biomedical scientists. Show you understand collaborative care.

A patient is anxious about a procedure they have consented to. How do you reassure them?

Acknowledge the anxiety, check what specifically worries them, give information in manageable chunks, offer choices where possible.

A patient asks you about complementary therapies you do not believe are effective. How do you respond?

Respect autonomy, be honest about evidence, explore why they are interested, do not dismiss. Note potential interactions with conventional treatment.

A friend is angry that you cancelled plans because of a study commitment. Speak with them.

Acknowledge their feelings, take responsibility, explain without making excuses, suggest a concrete way to make it up.

Here is data on emergency admissions by hour of day in a London teaching hospital. What patterns do you see?

Describe before interpreting. Identify peaks, propose causes (evening alcohol-related, weekend GP closure, shift handover). Be cautious about overinterpretation.

Tell me about a time you had to deliver news someone did not want to hear.

Warning shot, clear delivery, acknowledge feelings, offer next steps. STAR-style.

Should the NHS prioritise patients who can pay privately on the same waiting list?

Clear position — NHS allocation by need is foundational. Acknowledge the practical tension with private practice and the equity arguments.

What do you understand about the population served by St George's Hospital?

Diverse, multi-ethnic, multilingual catchment in south London. Show awareness of health inequalities, language access, and cultural sensitivity.

Describe a medical or scientific concept you have struggled to understand.

Honest example. Show how you broke it down, who you asked, what eventually made it click.

A patient is upset that their procedure has been postponed. (Actor present.)

Apologise sincerely, explain what you can, do not over-promise, signpost concrete next steps. Avoid defensive language.

What attracts you to a career in medicine over nursing or physician associate roles?

Respect adjacent professions. Be specific about what attracts you to the medical role — diagnostic responsibility, long-term continuity, depth of training.

A medical student you supervise has not turned up to placement twice this week. What do you do?

Speak with them privately first — there may be a personal reason. If concerns persist, escalate via the appropriate route. Balance compassion with professionalism.

Explain what informed consent means.

Capacity, information, voluntariness, no coercion, ongoing process. Show you understand it is more than a signature.

For A101 candidates: what does your previous degree bring to medicine?

Specific transferable skills (research methodology, communication, resilience) with examples. Avoid the "graduates are more mature" cliché.