A top interview question commonly asked in all levels from medical school right up to consultant is why have you chosen a career in medicine? In this post you will learn some key ways to answer along with other common medical interview questions and answers.
Perhaps you are at the start of your career and considering a career in Medicine. Or maybe you are moving up the ranks completing your specialty training and facing your next interview. It is always good to refresh your mind and consider what is your main motivation for pursuing such a career.
A recruiter is going to ask you during any interview before formally entering the world of medicine, and application forms may ask as well. Also, and importantly, when crafting the perfect cover letter, you should answer the question there first so you have an answer already etched in your mind (and they will still ask!).
The recruiter is going to ask because they will want to understand your commitment to the role you are applying for, and your overall suitability to it as well.
A career in Medicine offers many challenging opportunities
To say the world of Medicine is large would be an understatement; there are lots of specialisations that you could train for and eventually begin a career in. We narrowed it down, but due diligence and research into particular specialisations on your part is important – and this is certainly true of any career option.
Here are six of the top medical specialties in the UK, both in terms of demand and prestige:
1. General Practice (GP) – General practitioners serve as the primary point of care for patients. GPs are in high demand across the UK, especially in rural areas, and provide a wide range of diagnostic and preventive care.
2. Cardiology – Cardiologists are in high demand as cardiovascular diseases remain a leading health concern. Specialists work in hospitals and clinics to diagnose, treat, and manage heart and vascular conditions.
3. Psychiatry – Mental health care has become increasingly critical, and psychiatry is highly valued as demand rises for professionals trained in treating various mental health conditions.
4. Oncology – With an aging population and increasing cancer rates, oncology (cancer treatment) is a high-demand specialty in the UK, covering medical, surgical, and radiation oncology.
5. Orthopaedics – Orthopaedic specialists handle musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, which are common due to accidents and age-related degeneration. This field covers trauma surgery and elective procedures.
6. Paediatrics – Caring for children’s health, paediatrics is essential as it involves preventive care, managing developmental issues, and treating various childhood diseases. The specialty remains in demand across hospitals and clinics.
These fields not only offer high demand but also provide diverse sub-specialties, career advancement opportunities, and impactful patient care roles.
This is of course not a complete list, and each of these roles requires a different set of skills and personal aptitudes. Success in these fields often requires excellent communication, teamwork, the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, and an interest in and a knack for research.
Remember, the right opportunity for you will depend on your personal interests, skills, and long-term career goals. It’s always a good idea to research each properly speciality before making a decision.
Why choose a career in Medicine?
You probably already know that you are going to be asked this question at some point during the application process, and having a sincere and clear answer ready is going to help enormously.
Anyone in the medical profession is in a position of trust in one form or another, and the people considering you for a position want to gauge your sincerity and commitment.
To help with this question, here are some variations of the question that you may be asked:
- Can you explain why you’re drawn to the healthcare industry?
- How do you believe a career in medicine aligns with your personal and professional goals?
- Why do you think a career in healthcare suits you?
These questions may be phrased differently, but they ask the same thing and your answer should always reflect your passion, commitment, and suitability for the role you are applying for.
To help you prepare for this question, respond with confidence and plan your professional path, here are some reasons that may be driving your interest towards a career in Medicine.
Choosing a career in medicine can be driven by a variety of factors. Here are some reasons why individuals might choose this path:
Helping others: The field of medicine provides an opportunity for people to make a difference in the lives of others by improving their health and well-being.
Intellectual challenge: Medicine is complex and constantly evolving, offering continuous learning opportunities. Anybody who enjoys learning is likely to be fulfilled in a role in medicine.
Career stability: Healthcare professionals of all flavours are always in demand, providing a level of job security.
Diverse opportunities: Medicine offers a wide range of specialities and career paths that allow people to pursue their specific interests.
Personal experience: Some are motivated by their own or a loved one’s health experiences.
Teamwork: A lot of people enjoy working as part of a team in a healthcare setting, relishing the opportunity to work with other people who have the same goal of improving the health of others.
The decision to pursue a career in medicine should be based on personal passion and commitment because it requires significant dedication and hard work. It is certainly not a decision to be made on a whim, but for many people, the rewards are well worth the effort.
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What skills do you bring which are essential for this medical post?
Another common medical interview question exploring what you bring and how your skills fit with the post being recruited for.
The key when answering is to study the person specification and job descriptions for your chosen job or specialty. Requirements will vary and will include both clinical skills and experience as well as competencies such as communication and empathy.
For example here are some key skills required for entering speciality training in the NHS:
Clinical Knowledge and Expertise – Mastery of medical knowledge relevant to their specialty, including up-to-date treatments, diagnostic techniques, and procedural skills, is essential for delivering effective patient care.
Communication Skills – Doctors must effectively communicate with patients, families, and colleagues. Clear communication is vital for obtaining accurate patient histories, explaining treatment options, and providing compassionate care.
Decision-Making and Problem-Solving – Doctors frequently make quick, high-stakes decisions, especially in emergencies. Strong analytical skills and the ability to evaluate complex cases accurately are essential.
Empathy and Compassion – Being able to understand and empathize with patients’ experiences helps build trust, which improves patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Teamwork and Collaboration – NHS doctors work in multidisciplinary teams. Being able to collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as nurses, allied health professionals, and support staff, is crucial for coordinated patient care.
Adaptability and Resilience – Working in the NHS can be demanding, with long hours and high-stress situations. Doctors must be adaptable to changing circumstances and resilient to maintain high standards under pressure.
Strong Academic Background: Anyone wanting to succeed in a career in medicine needs strong academic excellence and scientific ability. These are important for a person to understand the complex scientific knowledge that medicine requires.
What do you know about the responsibilities of this medical position?
A question testing your understanding of what is involved in the post, what your core responsibilities will be. Keep in mind that a career in medicine comes with a wide range of responsibilities, regardless of the speciality although each comes with a different set. Here are some key responsibilities that medical professionals typically have:
- Patient Care: Doctors are responsible for diagnosing, treating, and caring for patients. They provide comprehensive care, addressing both physical and mental health concerns.
- Continuous Learning: Medicine is a field that is constantly evolving with new research and discoveries. Therefore, doctors commit to continuous learning.
- Managing Complex and Challenging Problems: Doctors often encounter complex medical cases and challenging problems. They need to use their knowledge and skills to manage these effectively.
- Improving Healthcare: Doctors play a crucial role in improving healthcare systems and practices.
- Working with Diverse Teams: Doctors work with people from varying professional and personal backgrounds. They need to work effectively and sensitively with these teams.
- Upholding Ethical Standards: Doctors are required to uphold high ethical standards and integrity.
Preventive Care: General practitioners (GPs) offer vaccinations, health screenings, and lifestyle counselling to help patients maintain good health and prevent the onset of diseases. - Chronic Condition Management: GPs also play an important role in managing chronic conditions. These can include diabetes, hypertension and asthma. They work closely with patients to develop tailored treatment plans, monitor their conditions and provide ongoing support and guidance.
Remember, these responsibilities can vary depending on the specific role within the medical field. For instance, a medical perfusionist will have different responsibilities when compared to a general practitioner.
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Why do you think you are suited to a career in medicine?
This interview question follows on from the pervious one. Once again a good answer will link the skills and experience you bring with the requirements of the post. Depending on where you want to specialise, you will likely need to possess some or more of the following qualities:
Problem-solving skills: Each new patient is a new problem waiting to be solved. Good doctors are nearly always excellent problem solvers.
Conscientiousness: Almost all of modern medicine depends on following protocols with attention to detail.
Good communication skills: Those in the field of Medicine must have excellent communication skills, which include both listening and speaking.
Empathy: You will need the ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes.
Physical endurance: You may not realise it, but physical endurance is extremely important in the healthcare field.
Quick response: This refers to the ability to respond quickly to situations.
Respectfulness: This means respect for patients, their families and colleagues. It is a key trait of successful medical professionals.
Emotional stability: The medical field can be highly stressful and demanding, so emotional stability here is important.
Academic ability: Strong academic skills are required to understand the complex scientific knowledge that Medicine requires.
These attributes are given to provide you with a general idea, and certain fields may require more than the ones listed here. As always, research the position or specialisation that you are interested in to get a better idea of personal requirements.
What qualifications do you need to apply for a career in Medicine?
Before pursuing a career in Medicine, you will typically need the following attributes at a minimum: Excellent communication, teamwork skills and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, specialisation dependant).
Your ability to treat holistically (as in taking a mind and body approach, and not to be confused with homoeopathy) and an interest in and aptitude for research will also be highly regarded.
Also, academically you will need:
Undergraduate Degree: A 5-year degree in Medicine, recognised by the General Medical Council. If you don’t hold a science degree, you might be able to enter a six-year degree course in medicine.
Foundation Course: A 2-year foundation course in General Training. This acts as a bridge between undergraduate medical training and speciality and general practice training.
Specialist Training: A 3-year specialist training course in General Practice. On successful completion of the foundation programme, doctors continue training in either a specialist area of medicine or in general practice.
As well as these qualifications, you will also need good grades in specific subjects like Biology and Chemistry. These are often from A Levels or their equivalents. Some universities accept other qualifications like the International Baccalaureate. Some medical schools allow entry after completing an undergraduate degree.
How do you apply for a career in Medicine?
Any medical discipline or specialisation requires dedication and hard work, so the first thing to do is to make sure that you can commit to it. If you are that you can, then what next?
What area of Medicine do you want to work in?
You need to decide what specialisation you want to go into, and you need to do this because it is going to influence the qualifications that you study for.
So, do your due diligence and research the options that you are particularly interested in and then think about the qualifications you need (see A Level requirements above) and the Medical School that you need to apply to.
Gain some experience
Do some work experience and/or volunteering. Having some experience in a caring role is extremely valuable both for yourself and the Medical School you apply to. This could be work as a volunteer or in paid employment.
Choose a Medical School
You can apply to four medical schools, in total, through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Keep in mind that you can only choose up to four medical schools.
With that in mind, many students use a fifth as a backup option, in case they decide to apply for related courses like bio-medical science which have a lower grade requirement.
With a Medical School in mind, you need to sit the UCAT test. The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is an admissions test used by several UK Universities.
Get your Personal Statement written up
This is your opportunity to show prospective Medical Schools why you want to study medicine and why there in particular (the last part isn’t necessary, but it certainly won’t hinder your chances).
In the statement, talk about all the things you’ve achieved in your life: personal interests, hobbies, sports achievements, academic prizes, projects you’ve worked on, and social groups you’ve been a part of.
Of course, don’t forget the ever-important question, “Why do you want a career in Medicine?”.
Any career in Medicine is going to be highly challenging, and that’s not including getting through Medical School. But, if you are committed and sincere then a fully rewarding career lies in front of you.
Succeed in Your Medical Interview with InterviewGold
A high scoring answer does not only depend on correct content, but also how well you structure it. With the InterviewGold online medical course you get questions, sample answers, formulas and a whole range of tools to help you practice and prepare. Here is just some of what you get:
- Interview questions for all areas plus expert answer guides
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- Competency questions related to the skills on the Person Specification
- Structures and correct formulas to use
- Easy to use Answer Builder creates personalised answers for you
- Comprehensive online training course at your fingertips
- Essential background and hot topics including Covid-19 and Infection Prevention and Control