Primrose Kitten

With my interview just around the corner, I can’t deny how nervous I felt. It wasn't only that this university is one the of the few that I’ve always admired, I felt even more nervous because it was the only course I could picture myself studying.

I decide to arrive in the city the night before my interview as I wanted to make sure I was well rested for the interview. Once I checked into my hotel, I got the opportunity to further explore the city that I would hopefully be spending a lot of time at in the near future.

I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to tackle my interview. Reminding myself of the advice my tutor gave me “relax, and be yourself”, I head on to my interview. I take a seat at the table opposite a lecturer and the head of the department. After a brief introduction of myself to the panel, they proceed to ask me several questions.

I’m asked by the panel, “why do you want to study this course?”. I feel that at this early on in the interview, I want the panel to see how serious and passionate I am about studying this course.I share with them how as a youngster I witnessed a close family receiving life-saving treatment from paramedics. This was the exact moment where I knew that when I grow up I want to be in the position where I can apply myself in such a way to essentially save lives. For me that is to study and specialise in medicine.

They then discuss with me how tough a medicine degree can be for some people. I appreciate that they don’t sugar coat the course. It reiterates to me that if I choose to study medicine I need to be self-motivated. Self-motivation can only be achieved when you are absolutely certain that this is the path for you. We also discuss my work experience in hospitals. The subject then turns to medicine in the media. I inform them of a really cool medical trial I read about a few days ago in the newspaper. Both members of the panel seem quite impressed with the fact that I keep an eye out for news related to medicine.

The panel also ask what I will do to combat the stress of the degree. To me this is the perfect opportunity to discuss my extracurricular activities. I can discuss my other interests in life and show them that I’m not just a study fanatic. I am still very much a fun-loving teenager. I love water sports and they are both a form of relaxation and fun for me.

As the interview concludes I’m given the opportunity to ask my own questions. I ask the panel for their feedback on me and whether they feel I would suit the course. I felt the interview was very positive and couldn’t wait to hear back from the university.