Sunderland Medical School Interview Questions (2026 Entry): UCAT Cut-Offs, Format, Dates, Example MMI Stations & Expert Tips

👋 Quick intro to Sunderland Medicine

The University of Sunderland’s School of Medicine runs a modern, clinically integrated MBChB with early patient contact and simulation-rich teaching in the Murray Health building. Interviews are Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs), and the shortlisting step uses an Interview Selection Tool (IST) that asks you to reflect on recent work/caregiving experience.

We use the medical school’s own pages wherever possible in this guide. 

🔎 How Sunderland decides who to invite to interview (shortlisting)

Sunderland uses an Interview Selection Tool (IST) — an online questionnaire — as part of shortlisting for an interview. You provide brief written reflections on your work or caregiving experience, which the school uses to assess values and attributes relevant to Medicine. Academic screening and UCAT are also considered. 

• IST = required: online questionnaire with short answers about your recent experience.

• Timeline: academic screen (Sept–Nov), shortlisting (Nov–Dec), interviews (Dec–Jan), offers typically issued in February. 

Note: Historically, Sunderland/Keele used a Roles & Responsibilities-style form; Sunderland now signposts the IST on its official site for current cycles. 

🗓️ How Sunderland interviews for 2026 entry

• Format: MMI (series of short stations). A mix of one-to-one, role-play and data-analysis style tasks. 

• Where: Face-to-face at the Murray Health building (School of Medicine). 

• When: December to early January each cycle. (Sunderland’s help pages specify December; other university pages and partner sites describe December–January.) 

• Afterwards: applicants are ranked and offers are made based on rank. Offers typically go out in February. 

🎥 The School has a short explainer video on MMIs at Sunderland if you like peeking behind the scenes. YouTube

🧪 What is the interview style assessing?

From Sunderland’s own guidance, MMIs assess:
Motivation, empathy/insight, understanding responsibilities of a doctor, awareness of ethical issues, resilience, comprehension, and communication. Expect role-play and data analysis to appear among stations. 

Historic note: earlier FOI responses indicate a brief numeracy component contributed to offers (“MMI score ranked and Maths score pass”). The current interview pages do not list a separate maths test; treat numeracy/data handling as embedded within stations unless the School states otherwise in your invite. 

🗓️ When are interviews held?

On campus in December (often spanning into early January). Make yourself available for the whole window; alternative slots aren’t guaranteed. 

🧭 Topics commonly covered in Sunderland MMIs

Based on the university’s own descriptors and common MMI themes, prepare for:

• Why Medicine & Why Sunderland, insight from work/caregiving roles (IST) 

• Communication & empathy (including role-play with an actor) 

• Ethics & professionalism (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice) 

• Teamwork & resilience (responding to feedback, setbacks) 

• Data interpretation/comprehension (charts, leaflets, short scenarios) 

External round-ups echo these themes and place interviews Dec–Jan. 

📊 How many applicants get interviews & offers? (FOI snapshots)

⚖️ Sunderland typically interviews a large proportion of applicants and then ranks strictly by MMI performance (and any stated requirements), with offers following in Feb. 

🧩 Example Sunderland MMI stations & questions (2026-style)

Grounded in Sunderland’s published attributes and station formats. 

⚖️ Ethical Scenarios

1. A patient refuses a life-saving treatment due to personal beliefs.
   ➤ How would you approach this situation while respecting their autonomy?

2. You see a fellow medical student sharing confidential patient details on social media.
   ➤ What should you do, and why?

3. A parent insists their child should receive antibiotics even though you know they’re not clinically indicated.
   ➤ How would you handle this ethically and professionally?

4. An elderly patient tells you they are tired of life and want to stop all treatment.
   ➤ What steps would you take in response to this disclosure?

5. You are asked to help during a medical emergency in a public place before you’re fully trained.
   ➤ How would you respond to balance your willingness to help with patient safety?

💬 Communication and Empathy

1. A patient has just been told they have diabetes and looks shocked and anxious.
   ➤ How would you support and communicate with them effectively?

2. A colleague appears withdrawn and is missing deadlines.
   ➤ How would you approach this conversation?

3. You are explaining a complex medical term to a patient with limited English.
   ➤ How would you make sure they understand what you are saying?

4. A patient complains they have not been listened to by the healthcare team.
   ➤ What would you say or do to address their concern?

5. A nervous 15-year-old comes in for a vaccination.
   ➤ How would you put them at ease?

👥 Teamwork and Leadership

1. You are part of a group project, and one member is not contributing.
   ➤ How would you handle this situation?

2. A team member makes an error during a group task but does not notice it.
   ➤ What would you do, and how would you ensure team harmony is maintained?

3. You’ve been chosen to lead a volunteer health campaign.
   ➤ How would you motivate your team and ensure everyone feels valued?

4. A conflict arises between two members of your medical team during a busy shift.
   ➤ What steps would you take to resolve it?

5. Your team misses a project deadline because of miscommunication.
   ➤ How would you approach this when reflecting afterward?

🧠 Motivation and Insight

1. You have decided to pursue medicine at the University of Sunderland.
   ➤ What specifically attracted you to this course and university?

2. You have just finished your first shadowing placement in a GP practice.
   ➤ What did you learn about the realities of working as a doctor?

3. Medicine is a demanding career with high stress levels.
   ➤ How will you maintain resilience throughout your training?

4. You have just completed your Interview Selection Tool (IST) reflection.
   ➤ What did the experience teach you about the values needed to be a good doctor?

5. You are preparing for the challenges of a long and intense course.
   ➤ How will you balance study, wellbeing, and social life as a medical student?

📈 Data Interpretation / Problem Solving

1. You are shown a chart comparing the rates of flu vaccination in different age groups.
   ➤ What patterns do you notice, and how might this information guide public health policy?

2. A graph shows an increase in obesity rates over 10 years.
   ➤ What factors might explain this trend, and how should the NHS respond?

3. You are given patient data showing vital signs over time.
   ➤ What conclusions could you draw, and what additional information would you need?

4. A leaflet about a new screening test claims it reduces cancer deaths by 50%.
   ➤ What questions would you ask to assess the reliability of this claim?

5. A table shows the number of A&E attendances during flu season compared to summer.
   ➤ What could explain the difference, and how might hospitals plan for this?

💭 Personal Reflection

1. You made a mistake during a volunteering role that affected the outcome of a task.
   ➤ How did you deal with it, and what did you learn?

2. You received constructive criticism during work experience.
   ➤ How did you respond, and how has it shaped your approach since?

3. You faced a setback in your academic or personal life.
   ➤ What helped you recover and move forward?

4. You worked with someone whose values or approach differed from yours.
   ➤ How did you manage to collaborate effectively?

5. You were praised for your contribution to a community project.
   ➤ What skills did you demonstrate, and how are they relevant to medicine?

💉 Understanding the Role of a Doctor

1. Doctors often face situations where there is no single correct answer.
   ➤ How would you make decisions in such cases?

2. You notice a senior doctor behaving unprofessionally towards a patient.
   ➤ What would you do, and who might you speak to?

3. A patient challenges your medical opinion based on something they read online.
   ➤ How would you respond to maintain trust and professionalism?

4. A doctor is running late for appointments, and patients are frustrated.
   ➤ What could be done to improve the situation?

5. You are asked to describe what “accountability” means in medical practice.
   ➤ How would you define it, and why is it important?

Want feedback on these stations under timed MMI conditions? Book our Medical School Interview Course — taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools.
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📨 When are offers released?

After interviews conclude and candidates are ranked, offers are issued in February in typical cycles.

💬 Student comments & insights

• Official forum rep guidance (Student Room) congratulates shortlisted candidates and reiterates the MMI format and timeline — consistent with the university pages. 

• An applicant blog reflecting on a Sunderland MMI emphasised not over-relying on pre-released station themes and focusing on broad skills (communication, reflection, resilience). 

(Forum posts are anecdotal; always prioritise instructions in your individual interview invite.)

✅ Top tips for smashing the Sunderland interview

1) Nail the IST reflections. Treat them like mini-MMIs: specific, reflective, values-driven. Link actions → impact → learning. 
2) Build a “Sunderland-why” answer. Facilities, early patient contact, simulation, regional NHS partnerships — but make it personal. 
3) Practise role-plays. Structure: acknowledge → explore → signpost → safety-net. This maps well to empathy and communication criteria. 
4) Ethics in 60–90 seconds. Use a crisp framework (4 pillars + GMC “Good Medical Practice” themes) and show both sides before recommending a balanced course of action. 
5) Be ready for data tasks. Quick reads of charts/leaflets; explain clearly to a layperson. (Historic FOI mentions a maths element; current page emphasises comprehension/data analysis within stations.) 
6) Reflect like a pro. Use STAR-L (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Learning) for work/caregiving examples — directly relevant to what IST probes. 
7) Simulate the day. MMIs are sprints; practise 6–10 stations back-to-back with changeovers.
8) Know the logistics. On-campus at Murray Health, in December (often into early January). Travel, sleep, and arrive early. 
9) After the bell, reset. Each station is independently scored; leave the last one behind. (External tip sheets align with this.)
10) Get expert eyes on your technique.

• Book our Medical School Interview Course — taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools.👉 https://bluepeanut.com/medical-school-interview

• Try a full MMI mock circuit to stress-test timing and feedback loops. 👉 https://bluepeanut.com/mmi-courses

📚 Authoritative sources (start here)

• University of Sunderland — Interviews (MMI, dates, ranking/offers): on-campus MMIs, December window, ranking → offers. University of Sunderland

• University of Sunderland — What does an on-campus interview consist of? Assessed attributes, station types. University of Sunderland

• University of Sunderland — Interview Selection Tool (IST): how shortlisting works; reflective responses about work/caregiving. University of Sunderland

• University of Sunderland — Selection process timeline: academic screen Sept–Nov; shortlisting Nov–Dec; interviews Dec–Jan; offers in Feb. University of Sunderland

• Additional context & date consistency: general Medicine pages and course hub. University of Sunderland

🎓 Final checklist

•  Read your IST answers and have fresh examples ready. 

•  Practise role-plays and data-chat explanations aloud. 

•  Structure ethics with 4 pillars + GMC themes. 

•  Plan travel to Murray Health; be flexible across Dec–early Jan. 

•  Book a full mock MMI to rehearse under timed stations. 👉 https://bluepeanut.com/mmi-courses

•  Level-up with our Medical School Interview Course (live, with real clinicians). 👉 https://bluepeanut.com/medical-school-interview

Ready to practise under real exam pressure?

Book our Medical School Interview Course — taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools.
👉 https://bluepeanut.com/medical-school-interview

Or jump straight into MMI mock circuits to experience the full flow.
👉 https://bluepeanut.com/mmi-courses