What to wear to a medical school interview

No UK medical or dental school marks your clothes. There is no official dress code, and nobody wins a place because of a good suit. But what you wear can still help or get in the way: it can make you look like you took the day seriously, or it can give you something to fiddle with for two hours.

The rule that works: dress the way a doctor or dentist would for a professional meeting, then choose the most comfortable version of that. You want the interviewer to remember what you said, not what you wore.

In person

• A suit, or smart trousers or a skirt with a shirt or blouse. Dark, plain colours are the safest choice. A jacket is common but not essential.
• A tie is optional. Plenty of applicants wear one and plenty do not. Choose whatever you feel most like yourself in.
• Shoes you can walk and stand in. MMIs mean moving between stations, sometimes along corridors or between buildings, and standing while you read a prompt on the door.
• Layers. Some rooms are cold and some are overheated. A jacket you can take off is better than a thick jumper you cannot.
• Nothing that needs adjusting. Long sleeves that need pushing up, bracelets that clink on the table and hair you need to keep moving out of your face all pull your attention away from the question.

Online

Online interviews are just as formal, and what matters changes slightly because the interviewer sees only your head and shoulders.

• Dress fully. It feels like a formality, but wearing smart trousers as well as a shirt changes how you sit and speak. It also saves you if you have to stand up.
• Plain, solid colours. Fine stripes and small checks can shimmer on camera. Pure white can glare and pure black can lose detail, so a mid-tone often looks best.
• Test it on the actual camera at the actual time of day, with the actual light. Do a short practice recording and watch it back.

Our online MMI guide covers the camera, sound and room setup in more detail.

What not to worry about

Religious and cultural dress is completely normal at interview, and so is any clothing you need for a disability or medical condition. Medical schools are bound by equality law and by their own commitment to widening participation. Wear what you would wear to a professional setting.

You also do not need to buy anything new. A borrowed jacket or the clothes you wear to a part-time job or sixth-form presentation are fine, as long as they fit and you are comfortable in them.

What to bring on the day

• Your invitation and any documents it asks for, usually photo ID.
• A copy of your personal statement, to reread on the way.
• A bottle of water and something small to eat. MMI days can run longer than you expect.
• A pen, in case a station asks you to write or calculate.
• Your phone charged, with the address and the school’s contact number saved.

Check your invitation for anything specific to that school. Some ask you to bring particular documents, and online interviews often need a specific browser or app installed in advance.

The thing that matters more

Interviewers are listening for how clearly you think and explain, and how genuinely you engage with a question you did not expect. That comes from practising out loud, not from what you are wearing.