Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Selection interviews for medicine and dentistry take about 25-40 minutes but the process from arrival to departure may take up to two hours.

1. Interview process
2. Interview panel
3. Possible selection criteria
4. Interviews for non-WA applicants

Interview process

The usual process on the day is for applicants to:

1. Register and speak with student helpers who are current medical and dental students (student helpers are not aware of interview content and can only provide general advice on personal experience and the course).
2. Read important information pertaining to the interview.
3. Undertake the in-person portion of the interview with the panel. (All applicants will be asked exactly the same questions in exactly the same manner, so that everybodys interview is as similar as possible.)
4. Undertake a listening skills exercise if included as a criterion.
5. Complete a questionnaire.

Medicine applicants will also receive information about the Medical Rural Bonded Scholarships at this stage. They can take an expression of interest to be returned to the Faculty by the deadline.

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Interview panel

You will be assessed by two people:

• a community representative
• a University representative.

Assessors attend training annually. Where possible, one interviewer will be female and the other will be male.

A third interviewer could be present in the room to observe as a:

• moderator; or
• a new interviewer learning the process.

In either case, the third interviewer does not have a formal role in the assessment of the applicant.

Up to 10 panels operate simultaneously during the process.

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Possible criteria

The purpose of the interview is to allow applicants an opportunity to display some of the personal qualities considered desirable in medical and dental practitioners.

Questions are formed around general criteria that may include:

• ability to assist and work with others
• appreciation of ethical behaviour
• capacity for self-analysis
• communication skills
• coping with uncertainty
• decision-making

• diversity and health
• emotional intelligence
• goal setting
• listening skills exercise
• motivation, commitment and perseverance
• perspectives of others
• social responsibility.

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Interviews for non-WA Standard (School Leaver) applicants to undergraduate entry medicine and/or dentistry

We are aware of the considerable difficulties and expense involved in arranging travel and accommodation in WA during December. Consequently, we have implemented a process for eligible interstate applicants to reserve an interview place for mid to late January.

If you accept the UWA interview offer, you do not need to travel to Perth in December. Instead, you are guaranteed an interview (should you still desire it) after first-round offers are made in mid-January, provided you obtain the minimum academic threshold.

Mid to late January interviews do not harm an applicants chance of receiving an offer for medicine or dentistry.

All domestic applicants (including those residing outside Australia) and onshore international applicants are required to attend their interview in Perth.

Applicants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

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