Queen's University Belfast · Student-led widening participation society
Opening doors to medicine.
Free, practical and supportive guidance for aspiring medical students, run by current medical students who have been through the application process themselves.
About us
Making the journey into medicine more accessible
SwotUP is a student-led widening participation society at Queen's University Belfast, dedicated to making the journey into medicine more accessible to everyone.
We recognise that applying to medical school can feel daunting, particularly for students who may not have access to the same guidance, resources or connections as others. SwotUP aims to help bridge that gap by providing free, practical and supportive guidance to aspiring medical students, with a particular focus on those from widening participation backgrounds.
Our society is run by current medical students who have been through the application process themselves and understand just how overwhelming it can seem. Through mock interviews, application guidance, workshops and outreach events, we give prospective students the opportunity to develop their skills, build confidence and gain a realistic insight into studying medicine.
A key part of our work is our free medical school interview programme. Applicants can practise both Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and traditional interview formats with current medical students, receive constructive feedback and become more comfortable communicating their experiences, motivations and ideas in an interview setting.
Beyond interview preparation, we want SwotUP to make medicine feel approachable and achievable. By connecting school students with medical students, we hope to provide the kind of honest, friendly advice that can be difficult to find elsewhere, from understanding the application process to answering questions about what life at medical school is really like.
A student's background should never determine whether they feel medicine is for them.
We want talented and motivated students from all backgrounds to have the support, information and confidence they need to take that next step.
Interview preparation
Hot topics
Fourteen topics that come up in medical school interviews, with the arguments on each side and tips for answering well.
A framework for any hot-topic question
Use SPIRE
You don't need to memorise a perfect opinion on every issue. Work through these five steps instead.
The golden rule
A strong medical interview answer rarely sounds like:
“I completely agree/disagree because…”
It sounds more like:
“There are several competing considerations here. On one hand…, while on the other…. I would also want to consider…. Overall, I would lean towards…, because…, although I recognise that…”
The goal isn't to sit on the fence. It's to demonstrate that you can recognise complexity, listen to different perspectives and then reach a balanced, justified conclusion, exactly the kind of thinking expected in medicine.
Applications
Personal statement tips
Your personal statement is your opportunity to show medical schools why you want to study medicine, what you have learned from your experiences, and what qualities you would bring to the profession.
You do not have to divide the 4,000 characters equally between the three questions. Different universities use the personal statement differently: some may consider it during selection, some may use it mainly at interview, and others may place relatively little weight on it. Always check the admissions criteria for each medical school you are considering.
Draft counter
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The three questions
Making it yours
Common mistakes to avoid
Don't:
The SwotUP golden rules
Before you submit
The 5-second test
Look at every experience you've mentioned and ask:
“So what?”
If you've explained what you learned and why it matters, keep it. If you've only explained what you did, reflect further. That's the difference between having experience and demonstrating what you gained from it.
Events
Tickets
Ticket details coming soon
The ticket link for our next event will appear here.
Link coming soon Get tickets