Non-Academic Criteria

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Section 6: Non-Academic Criteria (Interviews, Personal Statements, and More)

Medical schools aren’t just looking for students who excel on paper – they want to select people who have the right personal qualities and communication skills to be good doctors¹. Thus, most universities include non-academic assessments in their admissions process. The common ones are interviews, and in some cases personal statements, portfolios, or questionnaires. This section explores what to expect and how these factors come into play.

Interviews (MMI vs Panel)

The interview is often the final and decisive stage of the admissions process. By the time you’re invited to interview, you’ve probably already demonstrated strong academics and test scores; the interview is about assessing your interpersonal skills, your motivation, ethical reasoning, and whether you possess the soft skills suited to a career in medicine¹. It’s also a chance for the school to see if you’ll fit their program’s values, and for you to get a sense of the school.

There are two main formats used in Australia:

• Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI): This is by far the most common format now. An MMI consists of a circuit of short interview stations – typically around 6 to 10 stations, each 5-10 minutes long¹. At each station, you might face a scenario or question and possibly a different interviewer (or pair of interviewers). When time’s up, you move to the next station. MMIs allow the school to assess you on a variety of attributes and questions in a structured way. For example, one station might pose an ethical dilemma (to see how you reason and respond), another might be a role-play with an actor simulating a patient or colleague, another might ask about your past experiences and teamwork, and so on. Each station is scored independently, which helps reduce bias – if you flub one, you have a fresh start at the next. Australian med schools that use MMIs include: Melbourne, Monash, UNSW, UQ, UWA, Deakin, Macquarie, ANU, Newcastle/UNE, Western Sydney, Wollongong, and many others¹. The exact structure and length vary (for instance, one school might have 8 stations x 8 minutes each, another 6 stations x 10 minutes, etc.¹). Some innovations exist: ANU has an additional group task, and a couple of programs integrate a written or simulation task as part of the assessment.

• Panel Interviews: This is the traditional interview style – a single longer interview (or two) in which a panel of interviewers (perhaps 2-4 people, which could include a clinician, a community member, a student, etc.) ask you a series of questions. Panel interviews still exist at a few places. For example, James Cook University uses a more traditional panel interview, often about 40 minutes long, since they place emphasis on your fit for their mission (rural and tropical focus). The University of Adelaide also historically used a panel (though sometimes structured with predetermined questions). Panel interviews can feel more conversational, but they can also probe deeply into your motivations and background.

Regardless of format, what are interviewers looking for? They want to evaluate your personal qualities: communication skills (can you express your ideas clearly and listen/respond appropriately?), empathy (do you demonstrate understanding of others’ perspectives?), ethical reasoning (how do you approach moral dilemmas or questions of integrity?), maturity and self-reflection (do you know your strengths/weaknesses, learn from experiences?), teamwork and leadership potential, resilience, motivation for medicine, and understanding of the career’s realities¹. For MMIs, typically each station targets one or two of these qualities. For example, a role-play with an angry patient might assess communication and empathy; a question like “Tell us about a time you failed at something” looks at resilience and reflection; a scenario about resource allocation in a hospital tests ethical reasoning and critical thinking.

Medical schools often publish the list of qualities or competencies they assess in interviews. For instance, Medify’s summary mentions common ones: communication, critical thinking, decision-making, empathy, ethics, maturity, motivation, problem-solving, responsibility, self-awareness, and teamwork¹. Being aware of these can help you prepare.

How interviews are scored: Each school has its own rubric. In MMIs, each station usually has scoring criteria and the interviewer will score you 1-5 or 1-7 on certain traits or overall performance. In panel interviews, the panel might score across several domains or give an overall score. These scores are then standardised. After all interviews are done, the interview score often becomes a major factor in final selection. Some universities weigh interview equally with academic and test scores for final offers; others give it an even heavier weight (e.g., some might do 50% interview, 25% UCAT, 25% ATAR for final ranking). A great interview performance can secure your spot even if your earlier scores were borderline, whereas a poor interview can knock out even top scorers.

Interview timing: For undergrad programs, interviews usually occur from October to early January (Year 12 exams finish in Nov, UCAT is done, so interviews happen after initial academic results are out). Different states have different schedules – e.g., NSW undergraduate interviews are often in late November/December; Victorian (Monash) in December; Queensland (UQ provisional) around December; JCU as early as September/October (since they don’t need to wait on UCAT). Some may interview in January for final round offers. For graduate programs, interviews typically happen around August-September after applications close in May/June and after GAMSAT results are out and shortlist is made.

Increasingly, some interviews are held online (especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools switched to Zoom/MMI online). Check the format and location given the year – by 2025 some may have returned to in-person, while others keep online for accessibility.

Preparation: We will cover more in Section 9, but suffice to say you should practice common questions and scenarios. However, don’t script your answers – being authentic and sounding natural (not rehearsed) is key. Know your application (if you wrote a personal statement or background form, interviewers might reference it). Stay updated on healthcare issues, have opinions but be open-minded, and above all, show insight and empathy in your responses.

Personal Statements & Written Applications

A few medical schools require applicants to submit additional written materials as part of the selection. These can include personal statements, essays, or detailed application forms highlighting your experiences. This is more common for certain undergrad programs and some specific entry schemes.

• James Cook University (JCU): JCU’s Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery has a notorious written application as part of its process (in addition to academic results). Applicants fill out a form with several extended response questions about their interest in JCU, understanding of rural/remote health, volunteer or work experiences, and motivation for medicine. Essentially, it’s a personal statement split into targeted questions, focusing on why you are interested in tropical medicine and serving North Queensland communities. These responses are scored and are critical for being selected for interview at JCU. There is no UCAT for JCU, so this written component carries a lot of weight alongside your school results.

• University of New South Wales (UNSW): While UNSW’s main undergraduate entry doesn’t require a personal statement, they do have a Medicine Application Portal for applicants to submit details of their experiences. UNSW also has specific entry schemes like the Gateway scheme (for low SES students) and Rural Student Entry Scheme, which may involve additional forms or interviews. If you apply to UNSW, you’ll be prompted to provide a short statement or list of relevant activities via their portal (after applying through UAC).

• University of Newcastle/University of New England (Joint Medical Program): Their application used to include an online questionnaire about your experiences (and they have a distinct assessment day). For 2025 entry, they introduced a new requirement: applicants must complete a Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA) online (which is like a psychometric test) instead of a personal statement. Always check their current process, as it’s unique.

• Graduate programs portfolios: Some graduate-entry schools ask for more than just numbers. For example, the University of Wollongong and University of Notre Dame have used a portfolio or personal statement as part of the admissions. Wollongong asks applicants to detail experiences in areas like leadership, teamwork, service to community, rural experience, and cultural activities. They assign a score to this portfolio which, combined with GAMSAT/GPA, decides interview offers. Notre Dame (both Sydney and Fremantle) has applicants write responses about their motivation and fit with the school’s mission (as a Catholic university, they value community service, etc.). These narrative sections can influence selection for interview.

• Bond University: As a private undergrad program, Bond doesn’t use UCAT; instead, they have their own psychometric test and require applicants to submit short essays. Bond’s process includes questions to assess your personal attributes and dedication, which are reviewed before offering interviews.

• Others: Some universities might require a short personal statement via the application portal (e.g., “Why do you want to be a doctor?” in 500 words). Check each university’s requirements. For example, if you apply to Western Sydney/CSU, you have to fill out a form indicating rural background or other special criteria but no essay; the University of Queensland’s provisional entry requires no statement, etc. The majority of undergrad courses aside from JCU and Bond do not require lengthy writing at application stage (they rely on UCAT and interview instead).

If you are an international applicant, some universities require a personal statement and/or references as part of your application (often through their international admissions office). For instance, Monash requires international candidates to fill a form including a 500-word statement and references after ISAT.

Key points for personal statements/portfolios:

• Be genuine and reflective. Whether it’s an essay on why you want to do medicine or a description of an activity, try to show what you learned, how you grew, or why it matters to your pursuit of medicine. Rather than just listing achievements, explain their significance.
• Align with the school’s mission. If the school emphasises rural health, mention your connection or commitment to rural communities (authentically). If the school values research, and you have experience, highlight that.
• Follow instructions carefully. Word limits, specific questions – ensure you address what is asked. These written components might be read by interviewers or scored by a panel, so content and clarity count.
• Professional presentation. Even though it’s not an academic essay, treat these like part of your interview – use clear language, correct grammar, and avoid slang. It should still sound like you (first person is fine; it’s about you after all), but polished.

Resumes / CVs and References

Generally, most school-leaver applications do not require a resume or reference letters. Your achievements can be captured via portfolios or in the interview if you bring them up. However, a few graduate programs (particularly those that use portfolios, like Notre Dame or Wollongong) might allow you to list things in a structured format that resembles a CV (education, work experience, volunteer, etc.). They may ask for documents to verify significant experiences (e.g., a letter from a volunteer supervisor).

For international or graduate applicants, sometimes an academic reference or a character reference could be required by certain universities as part of a direct application. Always read application instructions – if a reference letter or referee contact is required, choose someone who knows you well in a relevant capacity (teacher, professor, employer, coach).

Other Assessments

Some newer assessment tools have been introduced in recent years:

• Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs): Beyond UCAT’s SJT section, a few programs have experimented with separate SJT exams. For example, Casper (an online SJT) was required by Curtin University for their direct entry medicine for some years². Casper presents video or written scenarios and asks typed responses about what you would do. Curtin and maybe UWA assured pathways have used this to get another data point on non-academic traits. If you apply to those, be aware you might need to register for Casper (usually around July, separate from UCAT).
• Psychometric Tests: Bond uses one (similar to Casper/SJT) as part of shortlisting. Some graduate schools might pilot these too.
• Group assessments: A small number of schools incorporate a group exercise as part of the interview (ANU does a group task, for instance, to watch how applicants collaborate)¹.
• Indigenous Entry Interviews: Applicants through Indigenous pathways often have a separate interview process (sometimes more panel-style with faculty and Indigenous health professionals). The criteria can be more holistic.

In summary, prepare for at least one interview in your application journey, and be ready to articulate your motivations and demonstrate those key personal attributes. If your chosen schools require writing tasks (personal statements or portfolios), allocate time for those in advance – don’t rush them last-minute, as they can be a deciding factor for getting to the interview stage. The non-academic criteria are what distinguish you as a person, not just a score, so they’re extremely important in this holistic process of selecting future doctors.