Lincoln Medical School Interview Questions (2026 Entry)

Written By The Blue Peanut Team

Introduction to Lincoln Medical School 🏥🌿

Lincoln Medical School was created to strengthen medical training in Lincolnshire and support the long-term recruitment and retention of doctors in the region. It began as a partnership between the University of Lincoln and the University of Nottingham, with teaching based in Lincoln and a strong focus on local placements.

A big headline for applicants: from the 2026/27 academic year, Lincoln aims to operate independently (subject to approval), while remaining a contingency degree-awarding partner with Nottingham during the accreditation journey. In plain English: the School is growing up fast — and 2026 entry is part of that next chapter.

What does this mean for you as an applicant?

It usually shows up in the “Lincoln flavour” of the course: community-focused healthcare, rural and coastal health considerations, and training doctors who can thrive in both hospital and GP settings.

How Lincoln Medical School decides who to call for an interview 📞📊

Lincoln’s shortlisting process is refreshingly clear compared to some medical schools.

1) First: eligibility checks (before any scoring)

You must meet the published entry requirements for the course you applied to — including GCSE requirements.

Lincoln scores your top six GCSEs, including required subjects (e.g., Biology and Chemistry/Double Science, Maths, English Language), plus your other highest grades (as specified in their guidance).

2) Selection to interview is based on GCSEs + UCAT (not predicted A levels)

Lincoln states that selection to interview is typically determined by a combination of GCSE and UCAT scores, and they do not use A levels or predicted grades towards the selection score.

If you don’t have GCSEs (or you’re applying with a relevant degree), Lincoln explains they may use UCAT only, and your application won’t be disadvantaged for that — it’s adjusted within the selection process.

3) GCSE scoring (up to 30 points)

Lincoln converts GCSE grades into points.

  • Grade 9 → 5 points

  • Grade 8 → 4 points

  • Grade 7 → 3 points

  • Grade 6 → 2 points

  • Grade 5 → 1 point

  • Grade 4 → 0 points

✅ Maximum GCSE selection score = 30

4) UCAT scoring (up to 30 points) — and how it’s actually used

Lincoln splits UCAT scoring into two parts:

A) Situational Judgement Test (SJT) — up to 15 points

  • Band 1 → 15

  • Band 2 → 10

  • Band 3 → 5

  • Band 4 → 0 (and your application does not progress)

B) Cognitive subtests — up to 15 points total

Lincoln scores Verbal Reasoning (VR), Quantitative Reasoning (QR) and Decision Making (DM) using banded points:

  • 801–900 → 5

  • 701–800 → 4

  • 601–700 → 3

  • 501–600 → 2

  • 401–500 → 1

  • 301–400 → 0

✅ Maximum UCAT selection score = 30
✅ Maximum combined academic score (GCSE + UCAT) = 60

5) Contextual scoring (A100 only) — up to 15 extra points

If you’re eligible for contextual consideration on A100, Lincoln adds additional points (maximum 15) on top of your GCSE+UCAT score to help decide who is invited to interview.

Examples of contextual measures Lincoln lists include things like:

  • UCAT bursary

  • MEM2 quintiles

  • living in a Lincolnshire local authority area

  • care experience / caring responsibilities

  • refugee status

  • Having attended a Lincoln Medical School WP summer school

For A106 (Gateway Year), Lincoln explains that all applicants must meet the course's contextual entry requirements, so no extra contextual score is added at shortlisting.

6) The final step: ranking

Lincoln ranks you against other applicants to the same course (A100 or A106). And importantly, you can’t apply to both programmes in the same cycle.

How Lincoln Medical School interviews (style, structure, timings, delivery) 🎤🧠

Lincoln interviews are:

✅ Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
✅ In person
✅ Held at the Brayford Pool Campus
✅ 7 stations, rotated
✅ Each station is scored across three domains, with a total interview score out of 70

What does that feel like on the day?

Think of it like a circuit:

  • You start at Station 1

  • You’re given a prompt/scenario

  • You respond under timed conditions

  • Then you move on to Station 2

  • Repeat until you’ve completed the circuit

MMIs are designed so one “meh” station won’t ruin your whole application. You get fresh starts.

Timings: how long is each station?

Lincoln doesn’t publicly publish station-by-station timings in its summary guidance, but MMIs are typically short, timed stations. Your invite email will tell you the exact schedule, what to bring, and what to expect.

ID and adjustments

  • Lincoln states that photo ID is required, and you may not be interviewed without it.

  • Reasonable adjustments can be considered, but they must be disclosed early so they can be arranged properly.

  • For widening participation applicants, Lincoln indicates funding may be available to support travel/accommodation for attending MMIs.

When Lincoln Medical School interviews are held 🗓️

Lincoln does not publish a fixed, public “interview calendar” for all applicants. What they do make clear is:

  • interviews happen on specific days within the cycle, and

  • You’ll be told your options once you’re shortlisted and invited to book.

Realistically (UK medicine context): interviews tend to happen after the October UCAS deadline and after UCAT results are available, running across the winter period into the new year — but your invite is the single source of truth for your date and time.

What topics are covered in the Lincoln Medical School interview 🎯

Lincoln describes the interview as your opportunity to show:

  • skills and attributes appropriate for Medicine

  • insight into a range of topics linked to working as a doctor (aligned with Medical Schools Council guidance)

In practice, that usually translates into themes like:

🩺 Motivation & insight into Medicine

Why this career, why you, why now — and what you’ve done to test that decision.

🏥 Understanding the role of a doctor & the NHS

Not memorising stats — more about understanding pressures, teamwork, patient-centred care, and realistic expectations.

🗣️ Communication & empathy

Explaining clearly, listening properly, and responding calmly — especially when emotions, confusion, or conflict are present.

⚖️ Ethics & professionalism

Consent, confidentiality, capacity, honesty, boundaries, fairness, safeguarding, patient safety.

🤝 Teamwork, leadership & resilience

How you behave when it’s tough, when someone disagrees with you, or when you’ve made a mistake.

🌍 Community and health equity

Health inequalities, barriers to care, and (very relevant for Lincoln) thinking about healthcare outside big city teaching hospitals, too.

How many are interviewed and how many receive offers? 🎟️

Here’s what is clear for 2026 entry:

  • Lincoln’s independence project FAQs describe plans for 80 places on A100 and 20 places on A106 (subject to approvals).

What Lincoln does not publish in its main public guidance is:

  • The total number interviewed, or

  • The total number of offers made

Those figures can change year to year based on application numbers, acceptance rates, and policy decisions.

The useful takeaway: with 100 places planned across both courses, Lincoln will need to make enough offers to fill the cohort — so your goal is to score as highly as possible at interview, not to guess the exact offer ratio.

How the UCAT is used at Lincoln Medical School (2026 entry) 🧠📌

Lincoln uses UCAT in a very direct way:

UCAT for shortlisting to interview

  • UCAT contributes up to 30 points toward selection to interview.

  • SJT banding matters a lot:

    • Band 4 = application not progressed

    • Higher SJT bands score more points

UCAT after interview

Lincoln states that post-interview, a combination of:

  • academic score (GCSE + UCAT + contextual where applicable), and

  • interview score
    is used to decide who is eligible for an offer.

So yes — UCAT matters twice: first to get you into the interview room, and then as part of the final ranking.

What is the interview scoring method? 🧮

Lincoln’s MMI scoring is described like this:

  • 7 stations

  • Each station scored across three different domains

  • total interview score = 70

That’s all you need to know to prepare well:

✅ Treat every station as worth roughly the same “weight”
✅ Don’t spiral if one station feels awkward
✅ Aim for consistent clarity, empathy, and safe reasoning

When are offers released? 📩

Lincoln does not publish one single “offers day”.

Instead, offers are released through UCAS after interview decisions are made. Some applicants may hear earlier than others, depending on when they interview and how admissions teams batch decisions.

For 2026 entry, UCAS also has national cycle deadlines — so even if you don’t hear back quickly, there are still clear “latest possible” points where decisions and replies must happen within the system.

40+ Lincoln Medical School interview questions (by topic) 🔥

Below are MMI-style practice prompts written in the way stations often feel: a short statement, then the question. Use them to practise out loud, in timed sessions, and with reflection.

🩺 Motivation & commitment to Medicine

  • Statement: You’ve told us you want to “help people.”
    Question: Why does that mean medicine specifically — not nursing, paramedicine, psychology, or physiotherapy?

  • Statement: Someone says, “Medicine is just a stable job with good status.”
    Question: How would you respond, and what are your real motivations?

  • Statement: You’re offered a place on a different healthcare course today.
    Question: What would make you still choose Medicine?

  • Statement: Medical school is academically intense and emotionally challenging.
    Question: What do you think will be hardest for you personally — and what’s your plan to manage it?

  • Statement: You didn’t get much clinical work experience.
    Question: What have you done instead to understand the reality of being a doctor?

  • Statement: You’ve been asked to describe your decision in one sentence.
    Question: What is your “why Medicine?” sentence — and what evidence backs it up?

🏥 Understanding the NHS and the doctor’s role

  • Statement: A patient complains that they can’t get a GP appointment quickly.
    Question: What factors might be contributing, and how should a doctor respond professionally?

  • Statement: A news headline says “The NHS is broken.”
    Question: What do you think are the biggest pressures on the NHS right now, and what could help?

  • Statement: A doctor’s role is more than diagnosis and treatment.
    Question: What else is part of being a good doctor?

  • Statement: A patient wants antibiotics for a viral infection.
    Question: How would you explain your decision while keeping the patient on side?

  • Statement: A junior doctor looks exhausted and snappy with patients.
    Question: What should happen next, and what is your responsibility as a future colleague?

🧾 Work experience & reflection (clinical or non-clinical)

  • Statement: You’ve done volunteering in a care home.
    Question: What did that teach you about dignity and person-centred care?

  • Statement: You shadowed a healthcare professional for a day.
    Question: What surprised you most, and how did it change your view of Medicine?

  • Statement: You’ve worked a part-time job (retail/food/customer service).
    Question: What skill from that job will genuinely help you as a medical student or doctor?

  • Statement: A patient is anxious and keeps repeating the same question.
    Question: Tell us about a time you helped someone who was distressed — what did you learn?

  • Statement: You witnessed poor communication in a team.
    Question: What did you do, and what would you do differently now?

🗣️ Communication & empathy (classic MMI station territory)

  • Statement: A patient is angry that their operation was cancelled.
    Question: How would you respond in the first 30 seconds?

  • Statement: A friend tells you they’ve stopped taking their medication.
    Question: How would you explore this without judging them?

  • Statement: You need to explain a complicated idea to someone who is frightened.
    Question: How do you check understanding without sounding patronising?

  • Statement: A parent keeps answering questions directed at their teenager.
    Question: How would you involve the young person appropriately?

  • Statement: A patient tells you something personal and then says, “Don’t tell anyone.”
    Question: What would you say next, and why?

  • Statement: You’re in a role-play, and the patient starts crying.
    Question: What do you do — and what should you avoid doing?

  • Statement: A patient doesn’t speak much English.
    Question: What safe steps should you take to communicate well?

⚖️ Ethics & professionalism (safe thinking beats dramatic answers)

  • Statement: You overhear a student discussing a patient in a café.
    Question: What’s the issue, and what should you do?

  • Statement: A patient refuses a treatment you believe would help them.
    Question: How do you approach this ethically?

  • Statement: You are running late and tempted to “guess” a clinical measurement.
    Question: What would you do, and what does it say about professionalism?

  • Statement: A friend asks you to look up their relative’s hospital notes “just quickly.”
    Question: How do you respond?

  • Statement: A doctor makes a mistake but says, “Don’t document it — it’ll cause trouble.”
    Question: What are the patient safety issues, and what should happen next?

  • Statement: You see biased behaviour towards a patient from a colleague.
    Question: How would you handle it safely and professionally?

  • Statement: A patient gives you an expensive gift.
    Question: What should you consider, and what would you do?

  • Statement: You are asked an ethical question you’ve never seen before.
    Question: How do you structure your thinking so it’s safe and balanced?

🤝 Teamwork, leadership & conflict

  • Statement: Two teammates disagree, and the project is stalling.
    Question: What would you do to move the team forward?

  • Statement: You are the leader, but you realise you’re wrong.
    Question: How do you handle it?

  • Statement: A quieter member is being talked over.
    Question: What would you do in the moment?

  • Statement: A teammate isn’t pulling their weight, and deadlines are close.
    Question: How do you address it without creating drama?

  • Statement: A senior person in the room is intimidating.
    Question: How do you communicate confidently but respectfully?

🧠 Resilience, self-awareness & wellbeing

  • Statement: You fail a test despite revising hard.
    Question: What would you do in the next 48 hours?

  • Statement: Medical students can experience imposter syndrome.
    Question: How would you recognise it in yourself and manage it?

  • Statement: You’re balancing school, UCAT, and caring responsibilities.
    Question: What systems help you stay on track?

  • Statement: You’ve had a disagreement with a friend or teacher.
    Question: What did you learn about yourself from it?

  • Statement: You’re placed under time pressure in an MMI station.
    Question: What techniques help you stay calm and clear?

🌍 Health equity, community care & “the bigger picture”

  • Statement: Two patients need the last clinic appointment slot.
    Question: How would you think about fairness and need?

  • Statement: A patient repeatedly misses appointments.
    Question: What could be going on, and how should healthcare respond?

  • Statement: A community has worse health outcomes than another nearby.
    Question: What kinds of factors might explain that?

  • Statement: Someone says, “People should just make healthier choices.”
    Question: What’s missing from that statement?

  • Statement: You’re training in an area with rural and coastal communities.
    Question: What challenges and opportunities might that create for healthcare?

🧩 Prioritisation & reasoning (without needing medical knowledge)

  • Statement: You have three tasks to complete in 20 minutes, and all feel urgent.
    Question: How do you prioritise safely?

  • Statement: You are given new information halfway through a scenario.
    Question: How do you show flexibility without panicking?

  • Statement: A patient gives you a confusing story with lots of details.
    Question: What questions help you organise information clearly?

  • Statement: You’re asked a question, and you don’t know the answer.
    Question: What’s the best way to respond in a medical interview?

Questions specific to Lincoln Medical School 🎓🌿

These are the kinds of prompts that show you’ve gone beyond generic prep and actually understand Lincoln.

  • Statement: Lincoln Medical School has a strong Lincolnshire focus.
    Question: Why does training in Lincolnshire appeal to you?

  • Statement: The School was created with an aim linked to recruitment and retention of doctors locally.
    Question: How could a medical school influence that — and what part could you play?

  • Statement: You may train across both hospital and GP settings.
    Question: What do you think you’ll learn in primary care that you can’t learn in a lecture theatre?

  • Statement: Some patients live far from services or have limited transport.
    Question: How might that change how healthcare is delivered and accessed?

  • Statement: Lincoln is moving towards operating independently (subject to approvals).
    Question: What opportunities do you think come with being part of a growing medical school?

  • Statement: The course themes include things like health equity, leadership, ethics and law, and quality improvement.
    Question: Which theme matters most to you right now, and why?

  • Statement: You’re asked, “Why Lincoln rather than a long-established medical school?”
    Question: What would your strongest argument be?

  • Statement: You’re applying for the Gateway Year route.
    Question: What strengths will you bring from your background and journey that will help you thrive?

Student comments (anecdotal) 🗣️💬

These are common themes that come up in official Lincoln student-style content and med student write-ups from within the University community. They’re not promises — just honest “this is what it can feel like”.

🟩 “Small cohort” energy: Students often describe getting to know people quickly and feeling part of a community early on.
🟦 Early clinical exposure matters: Students highlight that clinical visits can start early, helping learning feel real rather than just theoretical.
🟨 The workload is big (no sugar-coating): Students talk about medicine feeling intense and needing good study systems — but also reassure that no one is expected to know everything at once.
🟪 Imposter syndrome is real: Some students openly describe feeling out of place at first — and the importance of remembering you earned your spot.
🟧 Placements can be intimidating… then rewarding: Students often say the first few days of placement are nerve-wracking, but confidence grows fast once you introduce yourself and get involved.

If you want, you can use these themes in interview answers — not as “I read this online”, but as:
“I’m realistic about workload, and here’s how I manage it…” ✅

Top tips to succeed at Lincoln’s medical school interview 🏆

1) Prepare for MMIs properly (not just “read questions”)

Practise timed answers. Out loud. With a slightly uncomfortable level of realism. MMIs reward clear thinking under pressure.

2) Know Lincoln’s scoring approach (so you can focus your energy)

You can’t change your GCSEs now — but you can control:

  • How you communicate

  • How safe your judgement is

  • How reflective you are

  • How you handle ethics and pressure

3) Use simple structures (they stop you rambling)

  • STARR for experience questions (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection)

  • Ethics: think consent, confidentiality, capacity, safety, fairness

4) Don’t memorise scripts — you’ll sound like everyone else

Instead, memorise:

  • 2–3 personal stories you can adapt

  • Your “why Medicine?” in a real, evidence-based way

  • 3 NHS/healthcare pressures you can discuss thoughtfully

5) Bring the basics on the day (and reduce stress)

  • photo ID (non-negotiable)

  • travel plan + buffer time

  • water + something small to eat

  • smart, comfortable outfit (professional but still you)

6) Lincoln-specific prep: have a view on community healthcare

Even one strong point on rural access, continuity of care, or health inequality can make you sound genuinely switched on.

7) Be the kind of person someone would trust with their nan

That’s not about being perfect. It’s about being:
calm, respectful, honest, reflective, and safe.

Relevant links (authoritative) 🔗

The Blue Peanut Team

This content is provided in good faith and based on information from medical school websites at the time of writing. Entry requirements can change, so always check directly with the university before making decisions. You’re free to accept or reject any advice given here, and you use this information at your own risk. We can’t be held responsible for errors or omissions — but if you spot any, please let us know and we’ll update it promptly. Information from third-party websites should be considered anecdotal and not relied upon.

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