Why Interviewers Ask About Work Experience

Work experience questions are a staple of medical school interviews. They allow interviewers to assess your insight into the medical profession, understanding of the doctor’s role, and reflective ability. They are less about the quantity of experience and more about what you have learned, how you have observed and reflected, and how these insights will shape your approach to medicine.

Medical schools want to see that you have actively engaged with healthcare environments, considered the realities of working as a doctor, and developed skills such as communication, teamwork, and resilience. Interviewers also use these questions to gauge your motivation, professionalism, and self-awareness.

Common Types of Work Experience Questions

1. Reflective Questions – Focus on what you learned from your experiences.

   • Example: “What did you learn from your hospital placement?”

2. Insight Questions – Explore your understanding of the medical profession.

   • Example: “What challenges do you think doctors face on the ward?”

3. Skill-Based Questions – Ask you to reflect on skills you observed or developed.

   • Example: “Describe a time you saw good teamwork in practice.”

4. Motivational Questions – Connect experience to your reasons for studying medicine.

   • Example: “How has your work experience confirmed your desire to study medicine?”

How to Approach Work Experience Questions

1. Describe the Context

Begin by setting the scene clearly:

• What type of placement or experience did you have?

• Where did it take place?

• What was your role or responsibility?

Example:
“I spent a week on a surgical ward at my local hospital, shadowing junior doctors and assisting with administrative tasks and patient observations.”

2. Highlight Key Observations

Focus on what you noticed and learned, rather than just what you did. This demonstrates reflective thinking. Consider:

• Skills you observed in healthcare professionals (communication, teamwork, empathy)

• Challenges in the role (workload, decision-making, patient interactions)

• Ethical or professional dilemmas you noticed

Example:
“I noticed how the junior doctors had to balance multiple patients while maintaining clear communication with families. I saw that empathy and organisation were crucial to providing safe, effective care.”

3. Reflect on Personal Learning

Interviewers want to know how your experience affected you:

• What did you learn about the profession?

• What did you learn about yourself?

• How did it influence your motivation to study medicine?

Example:
“This placement showed me how important it is to stay calm under pressure and to listen carefully to patients. I realised I enjoy helping people and working in a team environment, which strengthened my commitment to pursuing medicine.”

4. Link to Skills and Attributes

Demonstrate how your experience developed skills relevant to medicine:

• Communication: talking with patients or families

• Teamwork: collaborating with staff

• Reflection: learning from observing situations

• Problem-solving: seeing how doctors prioritise care

Example:
“I observed how the team used clear handovers to avoid mistakes. This helped me understand the importance of structured communication and teamwork in patient safety.”

Common Pitfalls

1. Listing tasks instead of reflecting – focus on learning and insight rather than just duties.

2. Vague statements – give concrete examples of what you saw and how it affected you.

3. Failing to link to medicine – always connect experiences to your motivation and skills relevant to a doctor.

4. Overstating experiences – honesty is crucial; interviewers can often spot exaggeration.

Practice Example

Scenario:
Interview Question: “Tell me about something you learned from your work experience.”

Structured Response:

1. Context: “During a week on a paediatric ward, I shadowed nurses and junior doctors, helping with basic patient care and observations.”

2. Observation: “I noticed how staff balanced patient needs with administrative tasks, and how clear communication was essential to prevent mistakes.”

3. Reflection: “I realised that patience, empathy, and attention to detail are critical skills in healthcare, and I found myself inspired by the teamwork I observed.”

4. Link to medicine: “This experience reinforced my desire to study medicine, as I want to work in a role where I can combine problem-solving, teamwork, and patient care.”

Key Takeaways

• Be reflective, not descriptive – show what you learned, not just what you did.

• Focus on insight and motivation – connect experience to understanding of medicine.

• Highlight relevant skills – communication, teamwork, problem-solving, empathy.

• Be honest and specific – concrete examples are more convincing than general statements.

Final Advice

Work experience questions are not about how long you spent in a hospital or clinic—they are about what you learned, how you reflected, and how it shaped your understanding of medicine. Prepare a few examples that illustrate your skills, insights, and motivation, and practice structuring your answers with context, observation, reflection, and link to medicine. This approach will allow you to confidently demonstrate the qualities medical schools are looking for.