Interview Format
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Bristol adopts a multiple mini interview (MMI) model where applicants progress through seven interview stations, with one or two interviewers as appropriate. One of the interviewers is a recruitment specialist, while the other is a member of the medical admissions committee.
The applicant is given six minutes at each station, one minute to read or listen to instructions and then five minutes to complete the task/questions.The purpose of the interview is to provide the applicant with an opportunity to demonstrate evidence of skills and attributes that are appropriate to a career in medicine and to display insight into a range of topics related to a career in medicine.Key aspects that the interviewers are looking for are:
·         Realistic interest in medicine
·         Relevant life skills
·         A wide range of interests
·         Acts of altruism and voluntary work
·         Communication and interaction skills

​Key Dates
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Applicants must be available for an interview from November to April immediately following the submission of their UCAS application. Unlike a number of other institutions, there is no particular order in which applicants may be called upon.

Before the Interview​
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• Familiarise yourself with important MMI Techniques
• Reflect on your work experience and extracurricular activities. Bristol will want to know that you can use what you’ve already learnt and apply it to new situations, whether that’s regarding skills such as confidence or knowledge itself in scientific scenarios
• Know why you want to study medicine at Bristol and be able to articulate this clearly.
• Keep up to date with news affecting the medical community, NHS, as well as any significant medical advances as these, may come up in your interview.
• Reflect on your relevant work experience, volunteer work and personal interests – what have you learnt from these, how can you relate this to medicine?

Recent MMI Stations

The MMI consists of 10 stations, each with a specific criterion attached. They are designed to test your thought processes and are not necessarily about getting the correct answer. If one station does not go as well as you hope, try not to let it affect any subsequent stations. You’re naturally going to be weaker on certain questions than others, and that’s okay because everyone else will be in the same situation.
Expect these stations to include some, if not all of the following:

​Motivation and Insight into Medicine: The assessors will want to know why you would like to pursue a career in medicine and that you are enthusiastic. This has also come up in the form of “why not Nursing?” In this case, knowledge and respect of nursing as a career as well as how it differs to being a doctor is essential!

• Why Bristol? Outline the good points about the course, for example, early clinical experience? Case-based and small-group teaching? Full body dissection? The choice to intercalate? It is also good to talk about the university itself, for example, the campus and the student union.

Role play Station: Universities like to see what you are like in “real-life” situations. For instance, how would you break bad news to a patient? Fundamental skills here are empathy, open body language and non-verbal cues to show that you are actively listening to the patient, for example, nodding and appropriate eye contact.