Calming an Angry Patient
Calm down a patient who's been waiting two hours and is angry with the receptionist.
Likely follow-up · What do you say in the first 10 seconds?
Photo: Ebitart / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
Photo: Ebitart · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Tom Jolliffe · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Encoded · CC0
Step-by-step: entry requirements, UCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.
Open the guide →Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.
Read the guide →Case-based learning, 5 years, placements across The south west of England.
See the course →Plymouth publishes an explicit list of competencies it tests at MMI and ignores personal statement and work experience entirely in shortlisting.
Plymouth publishes the qualities they assess: communication, decision making, reflection and self-insight, motivation and commitment, integrity and inclusivity, resilience and adaptability, and teamwork. Personal statement and work experience are NOT considered in interview selection.
PBL curriculum. Five-year MBBS with PBL and case-based learning. Distinctive rural/coastal placement strand across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset.
Peninsula (Plymouth) is strong in these research areas:
Optional intercalated BSc - selective.
Format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Five stations of around 5 minutes each, with a single assessor at each station. Total interview lasts about 50 minutes. Stations cover communication, ethical reasoning, GMC-aligned values and motivation for medicine.
~140 home + ~25 international places per year (Plymouth University Peninsula MBChB).
Founded in 2000. Based in Plymouth.
Programmes offered:
What is TrueScore?
A data-driven estimate of the UCAT score you'll likely need to be invited to interview at Peninsula (Plymouth) for 2027 entry entry — based on its published cut-offs and recent admissions data. Treat it as a target to aim past, not a guarantee.
Peninsula (Plymouth)'s TrueScore is 1900. Build a week-by-week UCAT plan that works back from your test date — free for the first two weeks.
Wholly UCAT-based shortlisting once academic minimums met. Personal statement and work experience explicitly NOT considered. SJT not used. Plymouth publishes the assessed competencies in advance.
No use of SJT
AAB offer/prediction allowed for UKWPMED-eligible applicants (vs AAA standard). Contextual UCAT bar significantly lower than non-contextual.
Shortlisting is UCAT-led once the academic minimum is met, and the Admissions Advisory Panel reserves the right to consider any aspect of the UCAT when shortlisting. The personal statement and work experience are not scored.
Plymouth's published competencies are the framework to prepare against - have a strong, specific example ready for each one. Because the PS does not factor in, focus prep on UCAT and on demonstrating these qualities through stories at interview.
Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Peninsula (Plymouth)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
Calm down a patient who's been waiting two hours and is angry with the receptionist.
Likely follow-up · What do you say in the first 10 seconds?
How do you use humour in difficult situations?
Likely follow-up · Where does humour cross into inappropriate?
We've helped students into Peninsula (Plymouth) and other UK medicine schools — get tailored support for each stage of the application.
Hit the UCAT cut-off for Peninsula (Plymouth) with one-to-one tutoring from top scorers.
Learn morePractise the Multiple Mini Interviews format with students who interviewed at Peninsula (Plymouth).
Learn moreGet your personal statement reviewed by successful applicants.
Learn moreA field on this record was corrected against University of Plymouth's official course page on 14 August 2026; the record as a whole has not been re-checked against source.
We've helped students turn their UCAT, personal statement and interview prep into offers from Peninsula (Plymouth) and other UK medicine schools.