Sunderland Medical School Interview Questions (2026 Entry): UCAT Cut-Offs, Format, Dates, Example MMI Stations & Expert Tips
If you’ve applied to the University of Sunderland for Medicine, you’ll already know it’s not a “traditional” medical school in the old-fashioned sense — and that’s exactly why so many applicants love it. The Sunderland interview is designed to spot people who will thrive in a supportive, modern course and become safe, compassionate doctors.
This blog is your 2026 entry Sunderland interview guide: how you get shortlisted, what the MMI day looks like, what topics come up, how UCAT is used, and a big bank of example questions (including Sunderland-specific ones).
🔵 Key facts at a glance
Course: MBChB Medicine
UCAS code: A100
Start date: September 2026
Course length: 5 years
Campus: City Campus, teaching in the School of Medicine (Murray Health building)
Interview style: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
Interview delivery: Usually in-person / on campus
Typical interview window: December (the University also advises keeping the whole interview period free)
Offers released: February (after all interviews are complete)
Shortlisting: Academic screen ➝ UCAT threshold ➝ Interview Selection Tool ➝ MMI
UCAT requirement: Must be in the top 8 deciles, SJT Bands 1–3 only
Personal statement: Not assessed for Sunderland’s selection
Places: The School states 117 places per year (recent intake targets in FOI data are around ~100)
🩺 A quick introduction to Sunderland School of Medicine
Sunderland’s medical school opened in 2019, created to help tackle the regional shortage of medical training places and widen access so the profession better reflects the communities it serves. It’s known for a small, supportive community, based on a city-centre campus close to the coast — and it teaches using a spiral curriculum and problem‑based learning (PBL).
A few Sunderland “vibes” worth knowing (because they do shape the interview):
Modern course design: spiral curriculum + PBL (you build knowledge in layers, revisiting topics with growing complexity)
Early clinical exposure: patient contact starts early, including community and GP settings
Strong NHS links: wide placement network including hospitals, mental health trusts and GP practices
Interprofessional learning: you’ll learn alongside students from other health courses (because that’s real NHS life)
🔴 How Sunderland decides who gets an interview
Sunderland’s selection process is very structured — and the big message is: they want evidence you understand caring roles and have reflected on them.
Step 1: Academic screen (Phase 1)
From September to November, applications are checked to make sure you meet the minimum academic requirements.
Step 2: UCAT requirement (part of eligibility + shortlisting)
You must sit the UCAT in the year you apply. Sunderland’s published requirement is:
Top 8 deciles overall
SJT Bands 1–3 only (Band 4 = automatic rejection)
Sunderland also publishes recent minimum UCAT scores (adjusted to account for the UCAT changes).
Step 3: The Interview Selection Tool (this is very “Sunderland”)
Once academic shortlisting is complete, eligible applicants are sent Sunderland’s Interview Selection Tool — an online survey.
This isn’t just a formality. You’re encouraged to reflect on work or caring experiences from the last two years, and the tool helps them shortlist who to invite to interview.
Key details applicants often miss:
It focuses on work/care experience over the past two years (ongoing roles started earlier can still count).
You can list up to four experiences — but it’s commitment that matters, not collecting loads of short placements.
You must provide contact details for your most significant experience (or a teacher who can confirm caring responsibilities).
You’ll write short responses that help assess the values and qualities needed for medicine.
Step 4: Shortlisting (Phase 2)
Shortlisting for interview is based on a combination of:
Academic requirements
Interview Selection Tool
UCAT score
🔵 Important Sunderland point: the University has confirmed in FOI data that the personal statement is not assessed, and they don’t use a “weighting system” for GCSEs, predicted grades or UCAT beyond standard requirements.
That means your Interview Selection Tool + MMI performance really matter.
📍 How Sunderland interviews for Medicine (MMI format, structure & delivery)
Interview style: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
Sunderland uses MMIs, which means you rotate around a circuit of short stations. Each station is trying to assess a different skill — and then you reset and move on.
Station styles can include:
A 1:1 interview-style station
A role-play station (communication + empathy)
A data analysis task (comprehension + thinking under time pressure)
Delivery: in-person vs online
Sunderland’s current guidance describes interviews as face-to-face/on campus in the School of Medicine (Murray Health building).
(As with any university, formats can change in exceptional circumstances, so always trust your invite email first.)
Timing on the day
Sunderland doesn’t publish an exact “X stations of Y minutes” format publicly — so don’t waste revision time trying to guess the number.
Instead, prepare for what’s predictable about MMIs:
You’ll have very limited time per station
You’ll need to read a task quickly, then speak clearly
You’ll be assessed station-by-station, so one wobble doesn’t ruin the whole day
🔵 NHS Blue mindset: calm, safe, kind, structured.
📅 When are Sunderland interviews held for 2026 entry?
Sunderland’s published admissions timeline looks like this:
September – November: Academic screen
November – December: Shortlisting
December – January: Interviews (MMIs)
February: Offers issued
For interview dates specifically: Sunderland’s interview FAQs state interviews take place in December, and you’re expected to be available across the interview period.
🔴 Real talk: don’t book holidays or big commitments in December “because you think you’ll be fine”. Sunderland interviews are limited, and rescheduling is only considered in extenuating circumstances.
🧠 What topics are covered in the Sunderland Medicine interview?
Sunderland has been very clear about the attributes assessed in their MMIs. Expect stations that target:
Motivation and experiences informing your decision to pursue medicine
Empathy and insight
Responsibilities and challenges of being a doctor
Ethical awareness in health and society
Resilience
Comprehension
Communication
And because Sunderland uses work experience in shortlisting and at interview, expect to discuss:
What you learned from work/caring roles
The realities of a caring profession
The skills you developed (teamwork, communication, empathy, resilience, leadership)
🔴 Sunderland also gives clear guidance on what they count as “work experience” for selection:
Included: hands-on, public-facing roles (paid or voluntary), significant caring responsibilities, Duke of Edinburgh work experience
Not included: clinical shadowing, school-based events, short organised trips abroad
That doesn’t mean shadowing is “bad” — it just means it shouldn’t be your main example.
📊 How many applicants are interviewed — and how many get offers?
Sunderland has released recent admissions data (home applicants) through FOI. The numbers below show how competitive it has become.
Recent picture (home applicants)
2024/25 cycle: 1,044 applications ➝ 477 invited to interview ➝ 142 offers
2023/24 cycle: 981 applications ➝ 473 invited to interview ➝ 118 offers
2022/23 cycle: 655 applications ➝ 486 invited to interview ➝ 118 offers
What that means in plain English:
In the most recent cycle, just under half of home applicants were invited to interview.
Of those invited, roughly a quarter to a third received offers in recent years.
🔵 Don’t let this stress you out. It’s not about being “perfect”. It’s about showing you have the right values and can communicate them clearly under pressure.
🧪 How the UCAT is used at Sunderland (2026 entry)
Sunderland uses UCAT in a very “rule-based” way:
1) UCAT decile requirement
You need to score in the top 8 deciles of the UCAT cohort.
2) Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
SJT must be Band 1–3.
Band 4 is used as an automatic rejection.
3) Published minimum UCAT scores
Sunderland publishes recent minimum UCAT scores (adjusted for the UCAT changes). Treat these as a guide, not a promise.
🔵 How to use this intelligently:
Aim comfortably above the published minimum. Then focus hard on the Interview Selection Tool and MMI prep, because Sunderland’s process is designed to assess far more than test scores.
✅ What is the interview scoring method at Sunderland?
Sunderland’s process after interview is refreshingly straightforward:
They complete all interviews first
Applicants are then placed into a ranking based on performance
Offers are made based on your position in the ranking
Outcomes are expected in February
Translation: your job is to score consistently across stations — not to try to “game” one perfect answer.
🔵 MMI secret: interviewers score what they see and hear, not what you meant. Be clear, structured, and kind.
📩 When are offers released?
Sunderland indicates interview outcomes and offers are expected in February, after the interview period finishes.
They also run an Offer Holder Day (typically March) so you can see facilities and chat to staff/students before deciding on UCAS.
🧩 40+ Sunderland Medicine interview questions (2026 entry)
Below are example MMI-style questions, grouped by the areas Sunderland assesses.
Each one is written as a statement, then the question — so you can practise like it’s a real station.
1) Motivation & insight into Medicine (and your experiences)
You’ve wanted to do medicine for a while, but you’ve also considered other healthcare careers. Why medicine, specifically?
You’ve had a tough week at school and you’re questioning whether medicine is “worth it”. What keeps you motivated?
You’re asked to explain your decision to a family member who thinks doctors are “just clever scientists”. What do you think being a doctor actually involves?
You’ve seen medicine portrayed on TV and on social media. What do those get wrong about the job?
You’re offered a place on a different healthcare course with lower entry requirements. Why would you still choose medicine?
You’ve learned that medical training is long and demanding. What do you think will be the hardest part for you — and how will you handle it?
You’re asked to describe one moment that made you more certain you want to become a doctor. What happened and what did you learn?
2) Empathy, patient-centred care & role‑play style communication
A patient tells you they feel embarrassed talking about their symptoms. How would you help them feel safe and listened to?
A relative is angry that their loved one has been waiting for hours. How would you respond in a calm and professional way?
A patient keeps interrupting and won’t let you finish questions. How would you keep the conversation respectful and effective?
A friend says they’re scared to see a doctor because they feel judged. What would you say to reassure them?
A patient speaks quietly and seems nervous, but says “I’m fine.” What would you do next?
You need to explain a complicated idea to someone with no science background. How do you check they’ve understood?
A patient asks you a question you can’t answer. What do you do in that moment?
3) Responsibilities and challenges of being a doctor (NHS insight)
You’re asked what the NHS expects from a newly qualified doctor. What do you think “safe practice” looks like?
You overhear someone say doctors “have it easy compared with nurses”. How would you respond?
A junior doctor is exhausted after repeated long shifts. What are the risks of fatigue in healthcare, and what should happen next?
You’re asked to describe the emotional challenges of medicine. How will you protect your wellbeing while supporting patients?
A patient insists on a treatment that isn’t appropriate. How would you handle that respectfully?
You’re working in a team where everyone is stressed. How can teamwork reduce errors and improve patient care?
You’re asked what makes a great doctor beyond exam grades. Which qualities matter most, and why?
4) Ethical awareness (health and society)
A patient refuses treatment that you believe could save their life. What principles would guide your response?
You find out a friend has been looking at confidential patient information. What should you do?
A patient asks you not to tell their family about a diagnosis. How do you balance confidentiality and safety?
You’re asked whether it’s ever acceptable to lie to a patient “for their own good”. What is your view, and why?
A patient’s lifestyle choices are contributing to their illness, and they feel judged. How should healthcare professionals respond?
You’re asked about fairness in healthcare when resources are limited. How should decisions be made?
A doctor posts about a difficult shift on social media with no names mentioned. What are the professional risks?
5) Resilience, reflection & professionalism
You receive critical feedback on your performance in a group project. How do you respond and improve?
You’ve failed an exam before and felt knocked back. What did you learn about yourself?
You’re balancing A Levels, UCAT prep and caring responsibilities. How do you manage stress without burning out?
You make a mistake in a part-time job and someone is affected. What do you do immediately, and what do you do long-term?
You’re asked to give an example of when you showed courage or integrity. What happened and what did it cost you?
Someone in your friendship group is behaving unprofessionally during work experience. How would you handle it?
You’re asked what professionalism means as a medical student. What behaviours matter most?
6) Comprehension & data analysis (thinking under time pressure)
You’re given a short passage about vaccination rates and public trust. What are the key points, and what questions would you ask before drawing conclusions?
A chart shows a rise in A&E attendance over winter. What factors could explain this trend?
You’re shown two treatment options with different risks and benefits. How would you communicate this in a balanced way to a patient?
A study headline claims “X doubles your risk”. What do you need to check before believing the headline?
You’re given a scenario with limited information and asked to make a quick judgement. How do you stay safe and avoid assumptions?
You’re asked to summarise a short article in 30 seconds. How do you decide what’s most important?
A patient misunderstands a statistic and becomes frightened. How would you explain risk in a clearer way?
7) Work experience, caring roles, values, teamwork & leadership
You’ve worked in a public-facing job where people were upset or impatient. What did that teach you about communication in a caring profession?
You’ve had significant responsibilities at home (caring, siblings, family illness). What skills have you developed that will help you in medicine?
You’ve volunteered in a community role and met people very different from you. How did it change your perspective?
You’re asked for an example of teamwork that didn’t go smoothly. What went wrong and what did you do?
You led something (a club, a team, a project) and it didn’t go to plan. How did you adapt?
You witnessed someone being excluded or treated unfairly at work/school. What did you do, and what would you do differently now?
You’re asked what you learned about the realities of caring roles. What surprised you most?
✅ That’s 49 practice questions — and they map closely onto Sunderland’s published interview attributes.
🏫 Questions that are especially “Sunderland”
These are the sorts of prompts that fit Sunderland’s course and selection style — the ones that often catch people out if they’ve only prepped generic MMI answers.
You’ve read that Sunderland uses problem‑based learning and small group teaching. How will you make sure you contribute (without dominating)?
Sunderland’s School of Medicine was created to widen access and support underserved communities. Why does that matter to you personally?
Sunderland uses an Interview Selection Tool focused on your work/caring experience. Which one experience best shows you’re ready for medicine — and why?
The course offers early clinical exposure and community placements. What do you think you’ll learn from GP/community settings that you can’t learn from textbooks?
Sunderland emphasises interprofessional learning with other healthcare students. How would you build good working relationships across professions?
The University says commitment matters more than collecting loads of short experiences. How does your experience show commitment?
Sunderland interviews can include data analysis stations. How do you stay calm when you’re given unfamiliar information?
You’re asked why Sunderland, not a more “traditional” medical school. What about Sunderland’s approach fits you best?
💬 What students say (anecdotal, from official student stories)
Students’ experiences vary, but a few themes come up repeatedly in Sunderland’s own student stories and course pages:
Supportive environment: One student describes feeling “very supported from the beginning” and calls their experience “amazing”.
Hands-on learning: Students often mention getting stuck into practical learning early (including anatomy teaching and clinical skills).
PBL suits independent learners: If you like working through real scenarios and figuring out what you need to learn, Sunderland’s PBL style can feel very natural.
Community feel: Because intake is smaller than many medical schools, students often describe a strong sense of belonging.
🔵 Takeaway: Sunderland tends to attract students who want a friendly, modern, patient-facing course — and the interview often rewards that mindset.
🟦 Top tips to smash the Sunderland Medicine interview
🔵 1) Treat the Interview Selection Tool like a mini‑interview
Draft your reflections carefully:
What did you do?
What did you learn?
How did it change you?
How will that make you a safer, kinder future doctor?
🔵 2) Practise speaking your answers, not just writing them
MMIs reward clear speech under time pressure. Practise with:
A friend/teacher
Timed prompts
Short, structured answers (then add detail if time allows)
🔴 3) Don’t claim “work experience” that Sunderland explicitly doesn’t count
For Sunderland’s selection tool, don’t rely on:
clinical shadowing
school-organised events
short “medical trips” abroad
Instead, focus on hands-on, public-facing roles and what they taught you.
🔵 4) Use simple frameworks (so you don’t waffle)
A few that work brilliantly:
Ethics: “Consider autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice…”
Role-play: “Acknowledge feelings ➝ clarify ➝ explain options ➝ check understanding ➝ safety-net”
Reflection: “Situation ➝ Action ➝ Result ➝ Learning ➝ Next time”
🔵 5) Be very “NHS”
Even when the station isn’t explicitly about the NHS, keep your tone:
respectful
non‑judgemental
safety-first
team-based
honest about limits (“I’d ask for help / escalate / check guidance”)
🔴 6) One bad station doesn’t ruin your interview
That’s the whole point of MMIs. Reset, breathe, and walk into the next station like it’s a fresh start.
🔗 Relevant Links (Official & Authoritative)
Below are the official sources used in this guide.
University of Sunderland – MBChB Medicine (A100) course page
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/undergraduate/mbchb-medicine
University of Sunderland – Applying for Medicine (includes Interview Selection Tool + MMI information)
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/how-to-apply/applying-for-medicine
University of Sunderland – Selection process timescales (A100 Medicine)
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/help/school-of-medicine/apply/selection-process/index.php
University of Sunderland – Interview format (MMIs and topics assessed)
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/help/school-of-medicine/interviews/format/
University of Sunderland – Interview dates and location information
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/help/school-of-medicine/interviews/when/
University of Sunderland – What happens after the interview (ranking + offer timeline)
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/help/school-of-medicine/interviews/what-happens-after-my-interview/
University of Sunderland – Medicine subject area overview (curriculum & teaching style)
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/subject-areas/medicine
University of Sunderland – GMC approval news (Primary Medical Qualification status)
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/news/2024/seminal-moment-for-university-of-sunderlands-school-of-medicine
Medical Schools Council – Interview guidance for applicants
https://www.medschools.ac.uk/latest/publications/guidance-for-candidates-on-online-interviews/
UCAT Official Website
https://www.ucat.ac.uk/
