University of East Anglia, Norwich Medical School Interview

Teaching Overview

The curriculum at Norwich Medical School is organised into 'modules based on body systems' and delivered through a range of teaching methods, including:

• Weekly lectures and seminars
• Problem-based learning (PBL) – working within small groups, applying your learning to virtual scenarios and real patients
• Consultation skills tutorials – using actors to develop communication skills
• Clinical skills training – including practical skills and simulated scenarios
• Clinical placements
• Dissection

Throughout the programme, you’ll undertake the following clinical placements:

• Year 1 – 1 day per week in primary care placement (during blocks of campus teaching, i.e. whilst not in secondary care placements). Up to 9 weeks in secondary care placement.
• Year 2 & 3 – Weekly placement in primary care during each of the four 5-week modules. 12 weeks in secondary care placements.
• Year 4 – Weekly placements in primary care for 4 weeks of each of the four modules, plus a total of 12 weeks in secondary care placements and 2 weeks rotating through palliative care, Oncology and Older People’s Medicine.
• Year 5 – Majority of time spent on placement. Consisting of two 10-week modules mainly based in secondary care, as an integral member of the team. Plus a further 6-week module, following your final exams, predominantly consisting of clinical experience.

More information about the course modules, as well as the learning and assessment processes, can be found here.

Extracurricular / Additional Opportunities

Norwich Medical School offers the opportunity to undertake a four-week elective, elsewhere in the UK or abroad, during Year 4 of your studies.

They also offer an optional intercalated postgraduate degree, after your third or fourth year. Currently, Norwich Medical School offers the following options:

• Masters in Clinical Education (MClinEd)
• Masters in Clinical Science (MRes)
• Masters in Cognitive Neuroscience (MSc)
• Masters in Molecular Medicine (MSc)
• MA in Medical and Health Humanities
• BSc in Medical Research (Intercalated)

You can find out more information about their intercalated degree options here.

Selling Points

As well as MBBS Medicine, Norwich Medical School also offers Medicine with a Foundation (Gateway Year), which allows you to complete the five-year MBBS Medicine programme following successful completion of the Gateway Year. Find out more about this option here.

Interview Information

Norwich School of Medicine uses the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format for its interview. Applicants are assessed on their ability to demonstrate the following:

• Decision making skills
• An ability to learn and work effectively with others
• A caring and supportive attitude
• An empathetic and caring approach
• An understanding of the medical profession and their suitability for the career
• Honesty, integrity and personal effectiveness

For 2025 entry, interviews will be held on campus between November 2024 and February 2025. You can find more information on their website here.

Admissions Exam

For most medical schools you’ll be required to pass an admissions exam before you’ll be invited for interview.

Admissions exam for East Anglia: University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

The UCAT is designed to assess your characteristics, attitudes and professional behaviours against those required for medical school. The exam includes 5 sections: Abstract Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Situational Judgement (SJT) and Verbal Reasoning.

The entry requirements for East Anglia state that you must complete the UCAT in the year of application, meaning you won’t be able to resit the exam if you don’t pass or achieve the score you would like. The overall UCAT score is used to rank applicants for interview selection and then used again, in combination with your interview score, to rank applicants who will be offered a place to study medicine. Therefore, it’s essential that you prepare well for the UCAT to ensure that you score highly first time.

The free Medibuddy UCAT question bank can help you to prepare effectively. Using artificial intelligence to carefully select questions based on your strengths and weaknesses, our algorithm ensures that you’re focusing on the areas which will have the biggest impact on your UCAT score.

You can also easily identify how you’re performing in each section of the UCAT using the question bank dashboard (below). Your calculated skill level, the total number of questions answered and the number of questions you’ve answered correctly are all given, so you can clearly see which areas you’ve “mastered” and which you need to spend more time on.

For more information about the UCAT and how to prepare, check out our Complete Guide and preparation tips.