Good Questions To Ask At A University Interview

Whether you’re interviewing for Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry or any other healthcare degree, you will have a chance to show eagerness, a desire to learn more and confidence through sensible questions at the end of an interview. Here are some questions that can readily be asked at the end of your interview.

In order to be considered a ‘good question’ ensure that the answer is not widely available on the university website or prospectus!

Curriculum Questions

How long have you been teaching this curriculum and do you find that the students enjoy learning through it?
I did my work experience in X field, and have noted that the department here is particularly strong for it. Is it possible to do student selected projects or my elective focusing further on this area?
I’ve seen through your prospectus the degree to which you rely on group based learning; do you believe that it has been beneficial for students and thus far and are there any types of student it seems to suit in particular?
Have you changed the curriculum significantly in the last decade?
Beyond the prospectus and the website, how do you believe that the curriculum here stands out compared to other universities?
I read online that the student selected components here take place in X, Y, and Z years. Do they offer increasing complexity as the years move on? What kind of projects are you aware of students having completed for them?
What do you think that the curriculum could have added to it that it currently lacks?
I’m interested in the range of intercalated degrees available. I saw in the prospectus that you offer X and Y, both of which fall outside the remit of ‘typical’ medical intercalated degrees. I’d be very interested in doing X or Y to broaden my horizons, as having spoken to currently practising doctors they lament not having done something similar. What are your thoughts on intercalated degrees like that?

Rotation & Placement Questions

How do you choose which students are allotted to which clinical placements?
Are there any placements in particular which students seem to enjoy above the others?
What electives have students chosen recently? Are there any that seem to be particularly popular?
Do electives always take place abroad?
Whilst I was on placement at X hospital, I saw firsthand just how large an impact a small teaching group can have. As I was alone shadowing doctors, I learnt a huge amount in a short period of time. This leads me to ask - how big are the groups on the placements here? Are students able to select smaller groups if they think that this will benefit their learning?
How are placements assessed?
What’s the patient population like in the city? Is there a chance to see a range of different socioeconomic areas?
Are there opportunities for students to volunteer to help patients alongside their regular studies?

Medicine Interview Question Bank

MMI Question Bank

Research Questions

What chances are there for me to get involved in research whilst studying here?
Does the course emphasise the role of research and becoming involved in research?
What research has been undertaken recently here that you think is particularly interesting?
I have already been involved in some research projects in X field, as part of my studies in Y. I’m really interested in continuing to pursue this area, and noted that the department here is very active. Do they welcome students who want to help or get involved in research?
I’d really like to get a paper published, as I’ve already been published in newspapers and magazines whilst at school, and believe that my writing ability and academic ambition make this a great challenge for me. Can you tell me a bit about any students that you’re aware of who have managed to be published in recent years, and what areas they were researching in particular?

General University Questions

What kind of student organisations or societies are particularly popular here?
Do any students from the course become involved in student politics?
How are students represented when it comes to making decisions on course content and direction?
How do students find university life to be here in general? What’s it like to live here?
What are the characteristics that you find to be most common in successful students here?

Good Questions To Ask At A University Interview

​Further Reading....

Further Reading....