Many students do not know what to expect in the Biomedical Science interview at Oxford. We have spoken to some of the best performing Biomedical Science students at Oxford to give you the best tips!
What is the Oxford Biomedical Science interview structure?
Each candidate has an interview by at least one college, and will typically have 3 different 20 minute interviews. You may also be pooled to a secondary college for another round of interviews, so be prepared for up to 6 interviews within a few days!
Example Past Questions from Oxford Biomedical Science Interview
General questions:
- Why do you want to study Biomedical Science at Oxford?
- What experience have you done that relates to Biomedical Science?
- Why not Medicine?
- Questions on why I talked about X in personal statement
- What aspect of Biology are you most passionate about?
- What skills would make you suited to be a successful student at Oxford?
- Why this college?
- Why Oxford University?
- What can you contribute to college life?
Biomedical Science questions:
- Question on a brain scan, asking me to infer and draw conclusions (what would I be looking for, what information is missing etc).
- One question included analysing a graph, and relating this to my knowledge of Biomedical Science, e.g. “what can you conclude from the graph?”
- Shown a document with information about the lungs and asked to discuss
- I had a biological specimen and focused our discussion on this for 10 minutes, asking what conclusions I can draw and what important information is missing
- Information about two patients with different blood types and discussion focused around this area, with a mix of graphs and secondary data
- Why the death rate is different in two different countries
- How many litres of blood a heart pumps a year
- Question centred on DNA fingerprinting and why it is used
- Why do we have red blood cells?
- How is a city like a cell?
- Are fingerprints unique? There is such a limited space on your finger for different combinations, and there are over 8 billion people on earth.
- Why is oxygen useful to humans? Why can some people stay underwater for 30 minutes without breathing, whilst others cannot last 90 seconds?
- Why do some people have a lower heart rate than others? Is this nature or nurture?
What happens on the day of your Oxford Biomedical Science interviews?
Before your interviews, the university will share a timetable with dates and times for biomedical science interviews. This is along with the names of the tutors who will be interviewing you (which help for background research).
I entered the interview and was greeted by the two interviewers. We discussed general questions such as why I wanted to study Biomedical Sciences and why I wanted to study at Oxford. There was then a 5 minute discussion about a book I mentioned in my personal statement.
The bulk of the interview consisted of analysing a table and graph which related to information about a brain scan. The document had axes and other bits of information to make it a bit easier. I spent a couple of minutes analysing and collecting thoughts before starting my discussion.
What do you have to bring to your Oxford Biomedical Science interview?
Honestly, we were not expected to bring anything! There was no dress code required. They said we should wear whatever we feel most comfortable in – from a suit to tracksuits. I decided to dress in casual clothes to make myself feel more at ease.
When are Oxford BioMedical Science interviews held?
According to Oxford University, the vast majority of interviews are held in the first three weeks of December. Candidates will have at least 24 hours notice before their interviews.
Tutors then make a decision based on the performance of the applications, and the university send offers to candidates in mid January.
What are the Oxford Biomedical Science interviewers like?
The interviewers I had for my Biomedical interview were very friendly and were understanding if you needed a couple of minutes to think before answering! You have to remember, they want you to succeed and do your best, so it’s unlikely they will try and trick you or be really cold.
The tutors know how difficult it can be, so will always be happy to lend a helping hand if you are stuck. One of the interviewers told me they were an undergrad for Biomedical Science themselves over fifteen years ago, so could relate to my experience, but made sure I was comfortable and at ease.
Biomedical Science interview tips
- Before the interview try to relax and put yourself at ease. You have an interview invite, meaning you are a strong candidate, so do not doubt yourself.
- On the day make sure you have everything prepared – reliable WiFi, laptop is charged, and any equipment is ready (pen/paper/mouse etc)
- Get a good night’s sleep. Do not cram all your A-Level notes the night before – instead try to unwind and get a good 8 hour sleep to feel fresh and ready for your interview.
- Try to stay calm! Interviewers care less about your final answer and more about how you arrived there – so practise talking out loud and showing the interviewer your thought process.
- Do not panic if you do not immediately know the answer. Oxford interviews are hard. They may ask a difficult question because they think you are a top candidate, and if this happens, do not freak out. Instead, take a step back, and take a couple of seconds to think and structure your answer. Again, focus on communicating with your interviewer and showing them your logical thought process out loud. Oxford tutors stress they care less about what you know, and more about how you think and can communicate your thoughts.
Bonus Tips!
- Mock interviews help! Make sure to practise talking out loud to someone else – be a friend, teacher, or parent.
- Know your personal statement! Many candidates get asked about a book they mentioned or experience they included, so make sure you are comfortable talking about all areas on your personal statement.
- Practise the questions that can be rehearsed. Some questions are impossible to prepare for, but other questions are likely to come up, such as “Why Biomedical Sciences at Oxford?”, “Tell me about your experiences?”, “Why did you mention this book in your personal statement?”
- Try to be as enthusiastic and engaged as possible! The interviewer could potentially be your tutor for the next 3 years, so they want to look forward to teaching you. So remember to be yourself, smile and be engaged!
