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The personal characteristics we look for in applicants to the A100 course (both the pre-clinical and clinical parts) are listed below.

Personal characteristics: suitability for medicine

  • Empathy: ability and willingness to imagine the feelings of others and understand the reasons for the views of others
  • Motivation: a reasonably well-informed and strong desire to practise medicine
  • Communication: ability to make knowledge and ideas clear using language appropriate to the audience
  • Honesty and integrity
  • Ethical awareness
  • Ability to work with others
  • Capacity for sustained and intense work
  • Alignment of individual values and behaviours with the values of the NHS Constitution.

Academic potential

  • Problem-solving: critical thinking, analytical approach
  • Intellectual curiosity: keenness to understand the reason for observations; depth; tendency to look for meaning; enthusiasm and curiosity in science
  • Communication skills: willingness and ability to express clearly and effectively; ability to listen; compatibility with tutorial format