Brighton & Sussex Medicine Interview Questions - How to Prepare and What to Expect
- The Medic Life
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) is a joint school of the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton with close ties to NHS trusts in the South East. The school emphasises early patient contact, small-group teaching and an integrated, clinically driven curriculum. Students learn across both urban and rural placements, giving broad exposure to primary, secondary and community care.
Why BSMS Medicine Interview is different (quick bullets for students)?
Early clinical practice -> About 20% of early-year learning is clinically based - you’ll meet patients from Term 1.
Anatomy with dissection -> Cadaveric dissection and prosection are taught in small groups (8 students per cadaver) to build team and communication skills.
Longitudinal GP placements -> Significant General Practice exposure across years, preparing you for community-based medicine.
Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) Medicine Interview Questions: Course structure -> Here's what you need to know!
BSMS runs an integrated five-year MBBS with three phases:
Phase 1 (Years 1-2): Foundations of health, core biomedical science plus early clinical practice.
Phase 2 (Years 3-4): Intensive hospital and community placements with increased clinical responsibility.
Phase 3 (Year 5): Assistantship, shadowing, and final preparation for practice.
Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) Medicine Entry requirements
A-levels: Standard offers are conditional on three A grades; typically AAA (Biology and Chemistry expected; contextual offers may be AAB).
IB: Competitive offers; check BSMS admissions page for exact HL requirements.
GCSEs: English and Maths at grade 6/B or above; IELTS 7.0 required if English is not first language.
Graduate entry: Graduates considered; degree-class and prior science knowledge will be reviewed.
Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) Medicine Admissions tests - the practical facts (what BSMS uses)
Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) Medicine Admissions: University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
When do I need to sit the UCAT?
All applicants must sit the UCAT in the year they submit a UCAS application. You can only take the UCAT once per admissions cycle and it is only valid for one admissions cycle. If you are reapplying to BSMS, you must retake the UCAT.
Is there a cost associated with the UCAT?
Yes, there is cost to sit the UCAT. For 2025, the cost will be £70 for tests taken within the UK and £115 for tests taken outside the UK. To ensure the registration fee is not a barrier to participation, UCAT also run a bursary scheme for UK candidates.
I am entitled to exam support in school/at college, will I have the same support for the UCAT?
Access arrangements for those sitting the UCAT are available. You need to apply to UCAT to be considered for access arrangements. Details of the deadline dates and what they will consider can be found on their website.
How competitive is BSMS? (offer statistics & reality check)
For historical cycles, roughly ~60% of interviewed home applicants received offers in one recent cohort; international offer rates were lower (example: ~29% in that cycle). These numbers show interview performance matters hugely - if you’re invited, rigorous preparation gives a real chance. (Always check the latest admissions reports for the current cycle.)
Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) Medicine Admissions: University Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
When do BSMS interviews take place?
Typically, BSMS interviews run between the December and March after you submit your UCAS application.
What is the interview process at BSMS?
Since 2020, BSMS have run their admissions interviews remotely via Zoom. For the 2025 period, BSMS will be running a hybrid format which will provide students with the opportunity to interview either in-person or remotely.
The format for both interview process will be the same and will consist of five stations each lasting 10 minutes with a short break between each station. Applicants will move from each station in turn, until they have completed a full circuit - this takes roughly one hour.
Please note that there is no advantage to either format of interview, both questions and mark schemes will be the same across the entire interview period. Therefore, it is down to the student to decide the format that is best suited to them.
How should I prepare for BSMS interviews?
The Medic Life is always updated on the official BSMS website... we recommend that you spend some time reflecting on your experiences, considering when you have demonstrated the core values and attributes needed to study medicine and why these values are important for doctors to have.
We also recommend that you develop a realistic understanding of what it is like to work in medicine. There are many ways to do this, access the Medic Life’s work experience for more information.
When will I hear the outcome of my interview at BSMS?
MMI results will be considered by the admissions board, with decisions typically being made from January until April.
Sample BSMS MMI stations (practical examples you should practise)
Below are authentic-style stations - practise these under timed conditions and use the guidance frameworks shown.
Role-play - empathic communication
Prompt: A nurse asks you to explain why a patient must fast before a blood test. The patient is anxious.
What to show: Clear simple explanation, check understanding, body language (or tone on camera), signpost next steps, show empathy.
Ethical scenario
Prompt: Two patients need an ICU bed and only one bed is free. How do you decide?
Structure: Identify the ethical principles (beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, autonomy), propose a justification, balance short- and long-term outcomes, reflect on uncertainty.
Data interpretation
Prompt: Interpret a chart showing rising local obesity rates and propose 2-3 realistic public-health interventions.
Structure: Summarise the trend in one sentence, identify likely drivers, propose feasible interventions with evidence/rationale.
Article-based discussion
Prompt: You’re given a short article about GP shortages in Sussex. Summarise and discuss impacts on patient access.
What to show: 15–30s summary, identify key consequences, propose practical mitigations, and signpost where evidence would help.
Motivation/personal insight
Prompt: Tell us about a time you failed - what you learned.
Framework: Use STARR (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection) and end with a concrete learning point.
(Practise 10-15 of these and rotate roles - assessor / candidate / observer.)
Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) Medicine Interview Model answer framework - use this every time
One-line signpost - say what you will do.
Structured response - bullet points or STARR for stories; PICO-like logic for clinical problems.
Evidence or example - briefly reference a relevant fact/experience.
Conclusion + take-home - one-sentence wrap-up and next steps.
Reflection (if time) - what you’d do differently / what you learned.
Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) Medicine: Practical tips for the day (in-person & remote)
Remote MMI: test Zoom/Teams, use neutral background, good lighting at eye level, and a stable internet connection. BSMS publishes explicit remote MMI guidance; follow it.
In-person: arrive early, bring ID, dress smart-casual and be prepared to move between stations.
Communication: slow down, signpost, check the interviewer’s understanding and keep answers concise.
Time management: if running short, say “In conclusion…” and give a short summary — examiners value structure.
Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) Example answers from The Medic Life (short templates candidates can adapt)
Q: Why BSMS?
“One-line: I want a course with early patient contact and strong GP exposure. Example: during X placement I saw Y - that convinced me… (STARR) - BSMS’s integrated clinical years and anatomy teaching will let me develop hands-on skills and community-focused practice.”
Q: How would you improve A&E in Sussex?
“One-line summary of issue → two evidence-based proposals (e.g., urgent treatment centres, enhanced community triage) → short barriers and reflect on equity/implementation.”
** The Medic Life's Founder, Dr Bakhtar Ahmad, an expert in MMI Prep with over a decade of experience, recommends that students write & memorise 6-8 tight 60-90 second answers for core motivation and experience prompts. This way, you will have a higher chance of smashing your MMI with Brighton & Sussex (BSMS) **
Also, you can always benefit from The Medic Life's MMI Course.
FAQs
How hard is it to get into BSMS?
Competitive - high academic grades and a strong UCAT are expected. Historically, a substantial proportion of interviewed home candidates have received offers in some cycles, so performing well at interview is decisive.
What format is the BSMS interview?
MMIs - multiple short stations (usually 7-10), often available both in-person and remotely (Zoom), marked using rubriced criteria.
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