UCL Medicine Interview — Format, Questions & Prep Tips

Why UCL specifically? What attracts you to the integrated BSc model?

Reference the mandatory iBSc year (3rd year), the breadth of clinical placements across multiple London trusts, and the central-London teaching base. Avoid prestige or ranking answers.

Why medicine, and why now?

UCL wants to see considered reflection, not a lifelong-dream narrative. Be honest about how your view of medicine evolved through your experiences.

Tell me about a work experience placement that changed your view of medicine.

Choose one experience and dig deep, rather than listing several. Articulate what you specifically learned about being a doctor — communication, uncertainty, multidisciplinary teamwork.

A 15-year-old refuses life-saving treatment for cancer. Her parents disagree. How should the team approach this?

Apply the four pillars: autonomy (does Gillick competence apply?), beneficence, non-maleficence, justice. Acknowledge the role of the courts in disputed cases. Avoid black-and-white answers.

A patient declines a recommended treatment because they read on the internet that it causes harm. How do you respond?

Autonomy is paramount, but doctors have a duty to provide accurate information. Discuss shared decision-making and the difference between persuasion and coercion.

Should the NHS fund treatments for self-inflicted conditions (e.g. lifestyle-related lung disease, alcohol-related liver disease)?

Engage with both sides. Justice as a pillar argues against rationing by lifestyle; pragmatic resource-allocation argues for. UCL wants nuanced reasoning, not a fixed position.

Explain to me what informed consent means.

Capacity, voluntary, information, understanding. Mention common scenarios where consent is complicated (children, emergencies, mental capacity).

Describe a complex concept from your A-Level work to me as if I had never studied science.

UCL loves this. Avoid jargon, use analogies, check the listener's understanding as you go. Pick something you genuinely understand well.

Here is a graph showing 5-year survival rates for cancer across deciles of deprivation. What does this tell us, and what could a doctor do about it?

Discuss social determinants of health, access to screening, late presentation, and the role of the doctor at individual + system level.

What concerns you most about the medical profession today?

NHS workforce burnout, retention crisis, junior-doctor pay disputes, the move toward private practice. Show awareness without being doom-laden.

Walk me through what you understand about the role of an FY1 doctor.

Reference the realities: long hours, broad responsibilities, on-call rotations, the learning curve. UCL want to know you understand what you're signing up for.

Should doctors strike?

Topical given recent UK industrial action. Engage with both sides: patient safety vs systemic pressure for workforce reform. The BMA's position is a good frame.

If you weren't accepted into medicine this year, what would you do?

Show you've thought beyond a single application cycle. Honest answer is fine — graduate entry, work in healthcare, reapply, etc.

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

Pick a genuine example, not a polished one. UCL wants evidence of self-reflection and growth, not perfection.

A junior colleague comes to you and confides they made a clinical error that no one has noticed. What do you do?

Duty of candour (GMC), patient safety paramount. Discuss the steps: ensure patient is safe, encourage colleague to escalate, support them through the process.