If you could change ONE about the application process - what would it be and why?

Is this from your own experience?

Back when I started medical school we routinely had students with Bs and Cs at A-Level, they didn't struggle. Medical school is fundamentally different from school, those who do well at the latter may struggle with the former and vice versa.

something you'll have to do at medical school.

Is it?

Can I just check, have both of you actually taken part in a MMI?

Personally, if I was a university, I would want to see what kind of person people are when they're not being watched, and they're not in an interview situation where they know they have to impress. I would hire an actor to play an applicant in the interview waiting room, and instruct them to act really nervous or burst into tears, and see how the other applicants react. I think that's the best way to test people's natural compassion/people skills.

Edit: and use that in conjunction with the rest of the interview.

Was just curious as to what people would want to change about the whole application process - whether that be taking something out of it or adding something extra to make the process even more competitive!

I think I would take out how much emphasis some unis put on UKCAT, as is it really a true represenation of a good doctor? (only a way to differentiate between candidates) - also prevents you from applying to somewhere you might really want to go.

Perhaps all unis should use the MMI style (of 7-10 stations) - a true test of the individual's personal and intellectual capacity. Also helps to avoid bias of the interview panel.

Also, maybe add in a mock PBL session (even for unis that don't adopt this style) as this is an effective way to see how people interact with one another (dominant and passive characters etc...)

Just my musings

Edit: excuse the mistake in the title *ONE thing

Also, maybe add in a mock PBL session (even for unis that don't adopt this style) as this is an effective way to see how people interact with one another (dominant and passive characters etc...)

No no. Interviews should be individual otherwise it'll just end up like The Apprentice where brutally try to make themselves seem bigger and better than the others and just discourages those who would be excellent candidates, were they not in a room full of people who have been turned cocky due to their nerves.

Personally, if I was a university, I would want to see what kind of person people are when they're not being watched, and they're not in an interview situation where they know they have to impress. I would hire an actor to play an applicant in the interview waiting room, and instruct them to act really nervous or burst into tears, and see how the other applicants react. I think that's the best way to test people's natural compassion/people skills.

Edit: and use that in conjunction with the rest of the interview.

A-levels are now so easy that the med/vet schools are having to use ANYTHING BUT a-levels to judge the academic suitability of applicants

I completely disagree with you here - you can't tell me that Chemistry and Maths/further Maths and Biology (parts of it) are SO EASY!

I think most people would agree with me on that...

I think it's a good idea, but it's not necessarily practical. It might work for one year and soon after, people would catch on and it'd just be one extra thing to prepare for. Even now, my teachers told me to maintain top-form throughout interview day because they could be doing such things as you suggest.

This.

Excellent idea. Not only does it reflect your compassion/empathetic nature, but also tests you how you deal with an unfamiliar situation with a stranger. Good indicators for someone who's going into a profession like Medicine.

Although, it might become predictable over the years. So, universities would need to establish new and unique ways every year. Might be slightly difficult though.

I would definitely rep you for this though, however, I am out of reps.

Interesting you both mention this, the graduate entry programme at Warwick Medical School and Barts and The London SMD actually incorporates a group exercise as part of the interview process. I was really skeptical about it at first as I thought it would be like The Apprentice, but when I went I actually found it quite enjoyable and infinitely preferable to the usual grilling. Though perhaps my group were all just very nice, I've certainly heard about some people acting like dickheads and dominating the exercise...though I've also heard that they didn't get in

Cue lots of people telling me that that's not what real life is like, MMIs are supreme, etc, etc.

I dunno though, the ukcat is quite a good indicator of logic and problem solving skills, as well as interpreting and pressure/time keeping. It's not bad.

I think the bmat's scientific knowledge sections is more useless, because students do a-levels already, I don't see how knowing a student can do some a-lil-higher-than-gcse-level physics questions helps anyone.