Cambridge Medicine applicants 2015

I have scoured the internet for previous med applicants to cambridge and what their interviews were REALLY like but have found next to nothing. Anyone found any anecdotal evidence of questions/interview experience etc.? Not surely what to expect

Also, how much time should I expect to be spent on discussing work experience?

Hey! How formal will you be going for your med interview at St John's?
Should I go in a suit?

I'm going to wear a black suit

Ok thank you! Do you think I could get away with something a bit less formal? Like a shirt and jumper with black trousers and black shoes? So basically a suit without a tie and blazer.

Expect mostly biological-related science - though it may not be anything you've come across in your A-levels! It's not just about whether you know x, y or z, but how you approach the questions where you don't know the answer.

It is not uncommon to not be asked anything about your work experience, though some colleges may do it if they have a more "general" interview.

I was told to primarily revise Chemistry AS and A2. Of course I shall revise Biology as well but it was implied that the former was more important?

Downing specifically stated they don't do General interviews. So I shouldnt expect anything on work experience?

Implied by whom? People giving you advice will only have experienced interviews at a maximum of 2 Cambridge colleges. Just because they were asked mainly about chemistry doesn't mean you will be. You could get asked anything. I'd have thought Biology would have been more important than Chemistry, but tbh, it probably depends. But ideally you'd want to revise them both.

I think work experience questions are certainly fair game for a "subject medicine interview", so in your situation, I personally wouldn't assume that nothing non-scientific will come up.

I was told to primarily revise Chemistry AS and A2. Of course I shall revise Biology as well but it was implied that the former was more important?

Downing specifically stated they don't do General interviews. So I shouldnt expect anything on work experience?

My biology teacher! Who has had a lot of experience with oxbridge medics. I will revise both especially the biochemistry! Also would you think any physics would come up?

yeah fair enough I'll prepare some answers then.

Well, I don't know what will come up. If I was preparing for it, I'd try to revise all of my AS and A2 (so far) sciences and maths, spending more time on Biology and Chemistry, than on Physics and Maths.

(And also think of answers for Why Medicine, stuff about work experience etc, be able to talk about stuff on your personal statement, and I guess be prepared for ethical questions. I dunno how likely ethical questions are to come up, but better to be prepared IMO.)

I dislike the concept of "revising" for interviews in general. It's not an exam of your A-level knowledge. You should be secure on all the concepts, but it's not going to just be about what you've been taught.

This link is old now, but you can see the sort of questions that were being asked a few years ago. http://oxbridge-admissions.info/profiles.php

Has anyone applied to Girton?
I'm feeling a bit lonely

Ah don't worry. A friend of mine specifically applied to Girton.
And just a question, if St John's haven't mentioned any documents to be brought to interview, does that I mean I don't bring anything? I mean even a form I'd ID? Because I find that very hard to believe!!

Ah don't worry. A friend of mine specifically applied to Girton.
And just a question, if St John's haven't mentioned any documents to be brought to interview, does that I mean I don't bring anything? I mean even a form I'd ID? Because I find that very hard to believe!!

Stats, argh. I got 10 A*s GCSE, 4 As at AS, and ended up with 2 A*s and 2 As after my A2s. In my BMAT I got 6.8, 7.2, and 4A for the essay.

I spent most of my time right now preparing for the UKCAT. (Make sure you get into A medical school as opposed to NO medical school) Then when that was done then I sorted out my BMAT. I went to one of those BMAT crash courses for a day in London, but if I'm being honest, don't just give your money away to these. Some of the tips they gave me I found to be not very helpful. I did learn more about time management and specific questions, but there's no real way to predict what will come up in the BMAT. Time management is the main thing you need to prepare for. I got the BMAT book that everyone gets (400 BMAT questions), and worked through those.

I'll warn you, the BMAT is god awful. So damn stressful. One thing I'll say is for the essay, choose the question carefully, don't end up writing the essay and realising you have nothing to say. And don't answer an essay question where you don't understand the question. Too much of a gamble.

I'd say, if you haven't written an essay in a while, brush up on that. But you should focus mostly on time management for the first two sections. I thought the first section was the hardest, but really, what preparation can you really do?

Ask anything else if you want!

Hi, sorry to bother you but what extra curricula's did you do? i.e. -did you shadow a doctor etc?
Also, how are you finding the current work load as a med student and why did you choose cambridge and not oxford?