Preparing for the Brunel Medical School interview

How the recorded vMMI works

Once your invitation arrives, you have five days to complete all six stations. Brunel says your deadline is always midnight on the final day: if the invitation comes on a Wednesday, you have until the following Monday at midnight, and Shortlister sends a reminder 24 hours before. You don't have to do all six stations in one sitting, and you can take as long a break as you like between them, as long as all six are submitted in time. Extensions are only granted in exceptional circumstances, and Brunel says holidays, exams, coursework deadlines and work would not normally count. If you think you need more time, email bms-admissions@brunel.ac.uk as soon as possible; if your interview falls in an earlier round, Brunel may be able to move you to a later one. The same address handles extra time and other reasonable adjustments.

A few rules matter on the day. You can make notes during the 30-second thinking time, but Brunel asks you to use pen and paper, because typing may be flagged by the system as potential AI use. AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot are not allowed, and Brunel says it will withdraw an application if it believes AI was used. Once you submit a response you can't re-record it. If you hit a technical problem during a station, contact Shortlister support (support@shortlister.com) straight away; in some circumstances a re-record may be allowed.

Your invitation email also links to a practice area where you can try practice questions on the system and get automated feedback. Brunel says nothing recorded there is reviewed or assessed, so use it to get comfortable with the timing before your real stations.

What Brunel is looking for

Brunel says each station assesses a different attribute aligned with the GMC's Good Medical Practice. Its stations are scenario-based and explore how you think and respond to different situations. You won't be asked biology-based questions or anything that needs detailed medical knowledge. Brunel's advice is to understand the role of a doctor, reflect on your experiences and be ready to explain your reasoning. It also says it wants to hear your authentic voice rather than rehearsed answers.

Getting an interview

Brunel's FAQs describe four stages. First, the admissions team checks your references and whether you meet, or are predicted to meet, the general and academic requirements. Second, home applicants are ranked by UCAT or GAMSAT score and the highest scorers are invited until interview places are filled. You must sit the UCAT in the year you apply; GAMSAT is for graduates only. The course page says there is no set UCAT cut-off score, that selection is competitive and that Brunel doesn't accept applicants with SJT band 4. International applicants don't take UCAT or GAMSAT and are invited first come, first served if they meet the requirements, Brunel encourages everyone to apply as early as possible, which may mean an earlier interview and, if you're successful, an earlier offer. Third is the vMMI, and fourth is offers.

Meeting the criteria doesn't guarantee an interview, and you won't receive an offer without one. After each interview round, applicants are ranked on their total vMMI score, with no requirement to pass a set number of stations. Brunel sets a cut-off each year based on the cohort's performance. At or above it, you may get an offer or, with your agreement, a place on the waiting list. If you meet the widening access criteria in Brunel's Medicine Admissions Policy and are successful at the vMMI, you may receive a lower contextual offer. Before an offer you must complete a criminal convictions disclaimer on Brunel's eVision portal, and offers are conditional on an enhanced DBS check.

The course page says Brunel takes its work experience guidance from the Medical Schools Council and that applicants must be 18 or over by 31 October 2027. Brunel's FAQs also note that the GMC is still quality-assuring the MBBS and reviews it each year, and that full accreditation can only be confirmed once the first cohort graduates, which is expected in 2027. The GMC requires every new medical school to work with an established partner during this period; Brunel's contingency partner is the University of Buckingham Medical School.

How to prepare for a recorded MMI

• Practise the 30-second plan. Read a prompt, jot three words on paper, then speak. That's all the thinking time you get.
• Fill five minutes without padding. Rehearse answers that run three to four minutes with a clear ending, rather than talking until the timer stops.
• Record yourself. Brunel suggests practising by video call and recording yourself. With no interviewer reacting, watch it back for pace and filler words.
• Use the official practice area. Try it as soon as your invitation arrives, so the platform holds no surprises.
• Plan your five days. Pick a quiet time and place early in the window, and leave a day spare in case of technical problems.
• Keep everything your own. Notes on paper only, no AI tools, and no re-recording once submitted.

Brunel practice questions (written by us, not Brunel University of London)

Brunel doesn't publish its stations. We wrote these as scenario-based questions in the spirit of Good Medical Practice. Give yourself 30 seconds to think and up to five minutes to answer.

1. You are a medical student on placement and notice a doctor didn't wash their hands between patients. What would you do?
2. A patient asks you, a student, whether they really need the operation their surgeon recommended. How do you respond?
3. Tell us about a time you had to work with someone you found difficult. What did you learn?
4. A friend on your course asks you to sign them in to a lecture they are skipping. What do you do?
5. Why do you want to be a doctor rather than another healthcare professional?
6. An elderly patient tells you they feel like a burden to their family. How would you respond?
7. What does it mean for a doctor to work within the limits of their competence?
8. Your group project is due tomorrow and one member hasn't done their part. What do you do?
9. Should doctors share their personal opinions on social media? Discuss.
10. Describe a time you made a mistake. How did you put it right?

For a wider set, see our practice questions with answers guide and our MMI practice and preparation guide.

A drill for six recorded stations

1. Pick six questions from the list above and put each on a separate card.
2. For each card, start a 30-second timer, plan on paper, then record an answer of up to five minutes (aim for three to four) on your laptop.
3. Don't re-record. Treat each take as final, as Brunel does.
4. Watch two recordings back and note one thing to keep and one to change.
5. Repeat with new questions over two or three sessions, as you would across the five-day window.

Confetto's AI mock interviews ask follow-up questions based on what you said and give rubric-based feedback afterward. Brunel's recorded stations don't have follow-ups, so use the mocks for content and delivery and keep the timed solo drill above for the format. The question bank has over 500 questions, and you can start with a 7-day free trial.

Brunel interview FAQ

Is the Brunel medicine interview an MMI?

Yes. It is an asynchronous virtual MMI (vMMI) with six stations.

Is there a live interviewer?

No. You record your answers and an assessor reviews them later.

How long does it take?

Each station gives you 30 seconds to think and up to five minutes to answer. Brunel's interview page says about 40 minutes in total; its medicine FAQs say about 45 minutes.

When are the interviews?

Usually between December and July, with separate rounds for home and international applicants. As of October 2026, Brunel's interview, FAQ and course pages don't give exact round dates for 2027 entry. You have five days from your invitation to finish.

Do I need the UCAT?

Home applicants need the UCAT, taken in the year they apply (graduates can use GAMSAT instead), and SJT band 4 is not accepted. International applicants don't need either.

Can I use notes or AI?

Notes on pen and paper during the thinking time are fine. AI tools are not allowed.

Applying to other London schools too? See our guides to the King's College London Medicine, St George's, University of London and UCL Medical School interviews, or our medical school interview prep page.

Sources: Brunel vMMI interview page, Brunel medicine FAQs, Brunel Medicine MBBS course page.

Confetto isn't affiliated with Brunel University of London. Everything here about the school comes from its public admissions pages, checked in October 2026. Formats can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.