Mock Medical School Interviews

This term, we saw a record number of 14 medical and veterinary school applications from Upper Sixth students.

Twelve applications were for medical schools and two applications were for the eight veterinary schools in the UK.  A record number of applicants also meant that we had more alumnae than ever offering mock interviews to the students, giving them essential practice and confidence before meeting with university admissions tutors.

We are particularly grateful to our six alumnae doctors and vets who found the time to speak to our students during the second lockdown, when NHS staff were facing unique pressures at work and found themselves in emotionally challenging situations.

This year, the interviews took place over Zoom, which enabled alumnae doctors based outside London to help out. Our furthest located interviewee was Dr Pandora Rudd (class of 2005) who has recently re-located to Canada to start a fellowship and welcomed the opportunity to interview four alumnae while quarantining before starting work.

Dr Jilli Crosby (class of 2012) has interviewed South Hampstead vet applicants since 2014 and this year interviewed students from her practice in New Malden. Jilli has recently discovered her passion for teaching and this summer ran vet courses for GDST’s Limitless Learning Programme.

School friends Dr Claire Lemer and Dr Shama Goyal (both from the class of 1994) were extremely helpful in finding the time in their busy schedules as a Paediatric Consultant and a Geriatrics Consultant respectively.

Dr Tatiana Zhelezniakova (class of 2013) has regularly spoken at South Hampstead about her career and has recently started work as a Junior Doctor.

Natalia Abramovich (class of 2014) is in her final year of Barts Medical School. She has been the student representative on interview panels at her medical school and used this experience to advise South Hampstead students.

Thank you Pandora, Jilli, Claire, Shama, Tatiana and Natalia for being valuable role models for our students, providing careers advice and essential preparation skills for their actual interviews later on in the term. We wish all our applicants the best of luck as they await the results of their applications.