Tips to help you prepare
We want to help you to make the most of your interview with us and with this in mind, here are a few suggestions of things that you can do when preparing for your interview
Whilst courses can be similar at different universities, there are usually some differences between institutions. To help prepare for the interview you can research Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and and any relevant international associations related to your field.
The Coventry University recruitment and selection process includes assessing your potential to live the values outlined in the NHS constitution. We call this Value Based Recruitment (VBR), so it would be useful for you to have a good understanding of these values and be able to discuss and reference these during the interview day. There are also a range of online materials you can access, including the 6Cs, which will help you prepare for your interview.
We appreciate that current demands on the NHS and changes to health and social care working patterns have had an impact on the availability of shadowing experience. You should still aim to get some relevant experience if you can in a health or social care setting (paid, volunteering or shadowing) as soon as possible so that you can tell us about it during the interview. Such experience will help you understand what working in this sector is like, will give you an insight into the experiences of service users and hopefully ensure that you are choosing the right career path.
Courses
What to expect on the day
Here is an overview of what you can expect on your interview day.
Registration and welcome
Regardless of whether you are online or face-to-face, your interview will be a group format. There will be other applicants in the group activity set.
For face-to-face interviews, your invitation will tell you when and where to arrive. On arrival, you will be greeted by our student ambassadors and shown to the right room.
Whether your interview is online or face-to-face, there will be a welcome presentation from the admissions tutors and a chance to ask any questions you may have. Your group interview will last around 20 minutes.
Group interview task
You’ll each be asked to have a go at answering a series of values-based questions. Each person has their own individual question so that everyone has a chance to contribute. You give an answer; the admissions tutor might help you out with some prompts. Think of some examples of things that you have done or experienced that you can talk about in relation to the questions, focussing on the skills and qualities that you used.
Here is an example of two of the types of questions so that you can get the idea of how we run the interviews:
Q: You are required to work as a group in one of your seminar tasks but not everyone is contributing. What strategies do you have to ensure everyone works together equally? Why might teamwork be important in OT?
Q: During a clinical placement on a hospital ward, you establish a good relationship with an elderly patient. When they are leaving hospital, they stop you and try to give you a gift of £20 ‘for looking after me’. What do you do?
Your group will be facilitated by members of the occupational therapy teaching team. You should allow an hour for the whole interview experience, including any tutor-led presentation on the day.
We are looking for applicants to demonstrate an understanding of the role of an occupational therapist, an understanding of the profession, a commitment to the underlying values and ethos of the profession and an open and enquiring mind to learning personally, professionally and academically.
Admissions Lead and the Occupational Therapy Admissions Tutor: Sue Kenney
What to expect on the day
Regardless of whether you are online or face-to-face, your interview will be a group format. There will be other applicants in the group activity set.
For face-to-face interviews, your invitation will tell you when and where to arrive. On arrival, you will be greeted by our student ambassadors and shown to the right room.
Whether your interview is online or face-to-face, there will be a welcome presentation from the admissions tutors and a chance to ask any questions you may have. Your group interview will last around 20 minutes.
Group interview task
You’ll each be asked to have a go at answering a series of values-based questions. We’ll direct the question to you individually first for you to answer and then the whole group discusses possible answers or solutions to the question. So that you can prepare, here is an example of two of the types of questions so that you can get the idea of how we run them:
Q: Tell us what you will bring from your previous studies and experience to your occupational therapy studies? What are the transferable skills, knowledge or values?
Q: During a clinical placement on a hospital ward, you establish a good relationship with an elderly patient. When they are leaving hospital, they stop you and try to give you a gift of £20 ‘for looking after me’. What do you do? How might this relate to professionalism with OT?
We won't be asking you anything technical: the interview is your chance to demonstrate your commitment and motivation to undertake the occupational therapy course and join the profession of occupational therapy. Your group will be facilitated by members of the occupational therapy teaching team. You should allow an hour for the whole interview experience, including any tutor-led presentation on the day.
We are looking for applicants to demonstrate an understanding of the role of an occupational therapist, an understanding of the profession, a commitment to the underlying values and ethos of the profession and an open and enquiring mind to learning personally, professionally and academically.
Occupational Therapy Admissions Tutor: Sue Kenney
Top tips to help you prepare
Ahead of interview you should keep yourself up to date with current issues and developments in the profession and you may wish to consult websites of the Health and Care Professions Council and the College of Operating Department Practitioners to explore and gain further insight into the profession. Below are some key themes you should consider when preparing for the interview:
- What values are required to make a good Operating Department Practitioner and do I possess them?
- What is the role of an Operating Department Practitioner and what does this actually involve?
- What is my key motivation for wishing to undertake Operating Department Practice training at this particular point in time?
What to expect on the day
Interview format
When interviewing at Coventry University for the Operating Department Practice BSc we offer you the choice of either a virtual interview or a face-to-face interview. Alongside this you will be given a choice of interview dates and times to best suit your schedule. The interview will take place individually and this is discussed below.
If you have chosen to interview virtually, this interview will take place on the Microsoft Teams platform. You will be sent an invite to the meeting by email. Your interview will be set at an allocated time and the slot will be for 30 minutes. If you have chosen to interview face-to-face, this will take place on the Coventry University campus. You will be provided with arrival information by email. We suggest you arrive at least 10 minutes before your specified arrival time.
Individual interview
Your interview will take place with one or two interviewers. This normally includes a member of the Operating Department Practice course teaching team and a clinical practitioner currently in practice.
You will be asked a series of questions and given the opportunity to answer them to the best of your ability. If you want to go back to a question at the end, you can.
This is your chance to demonstrate to the interviewers your commitment and motivation to undertake the course and take the first step to becoming a registered professional.
Operating Department Practice Admissions Tutor: Stephanie Newman
Top tips to help you prepare
Recommended reading
To find out about current issues and developments in the Paramedic profession, consulting
websites like the Health and Care Professions Council or the College of Paramedics may help in gaining further insight into the profession.
What to expect on the day
Welcome
To begin, our team will deliver a short presentation welcoming you to the interview and
explaining the format for the day. The interview panel will include a member of the
paramedic teaching team and may include a service user, a current Paramedic student
and/or a representative from our local NHS Ambulance Trust.
Group interview
You will be asked to participate in a group task. This task is your opportunity to demonstrate some of the attributes that we are looking for in a student Paramedic. We will give you details of the group task on the day which will be designed to test your communication and team working skills.
Individual interview
Following completion of the group task, you will then meet in person with one of the teaching staff on the Paramedic team. This interview will be 5 minutes in duration and is a two-way process for both of us to find out a bit more about each other, so please take the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have here.
Admissions Tutor: Matthew Harris
Top tips to help you prepare
We want to help you make the most of your interview with us, so here are a few suggestions of things that you can do when preparing for your interview.
When preparing for interview you should consider the following key themes:
- What is my key motivation for wishing to undertake Physiotherapy training at this point in time?
- What is the scope and breadth of Physiotherapy practice?
- What skills and values make a good Physiotherapist, and do I possess them?
- How do I cope with stressful and challenging situations?
Ahead of interview you may wish to consult the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (search under ‘Careers and Jobs’) and the NHS website to gain further insight into the profession.
Previous experience
We are looking for applicants to be able to demonstrate that they have experience of working with people, and the skills they have developed as a result. This could include paid or voluntary work experience, group work at school or college, fundraising or playing for a sports club. We will ask you about this experience during the interview and will want to know what you learned from it.
What to expect on the day
Welcome
A member of the admissions team will spend a few minutes welcoming you, explaining the format of the interview and you have a chance to ask any questions you may have. You will be required to participate only in a group interview, which will last around 30 minutes. For face-to-face interviews, your invitation will tell you when and where to arrive. Please ensure you arrive on or before the time of the interview, so you are settled in. Microsoft Teams will be used for the online interviews, so please make sure you can access this. To ensure that you are comfortable with Microsoft Teams, it would be a good idea to practise using it ahead. Make sure your microphone and camera are operational, then find a peaceful area where you should be able to participate without being disturbed.
Group interview
As part of your interview process, you will be required to participate in a group task concerning the important values for all Health and Social Care professionals. You will be interviewed with up to six other people where you will be expected to engage in a group discussion as guided by your interviewers.
The purpose of this group task is to assess your understanding of the importance of these values and your understanding of their application to physiotherapy through the group discussion. We are also assessing how well you can work in a group, express your ideas clearly and your communication skills.
Answering your questions
After your interview, all our applicants will be offered the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. The interview is a two-way process for us to find out about each other, so please take the opportunity to ask any questions.
Physiotherapy Admissions Tutor: Titilope Ajepe
Top tips to help you prepare
Recommended reading
When preparing for interview you should consider the following key themes:
- What is my key motivation for wishing to undertake Physiotherapy training at this particular point in time?
- What is the scope and breadth of Physiotherapy practice
- What skills and values make a good Physiotherapist, and do I possess them?
- How do I cope with stressful and challenging situations?
Ahead of interview you may wish to consult the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (search under ‘Careers and Jobs’) and the NHS website to gain further insight into the profession.
Previous experience
We are looking for applicants who can demonstrate experience of working with people and the skills they have developed as a result. This may include paid or voluntary work, group projects at school or college, fundraising activities, or involvement in a sports club. During the interview, we will ask you to reflect on these experiences and explain what you learned from them.
We also encourage you to consider how your previous undergraduate degree and the knowledge and skills gained through it have prepared you for becoming a student physiotherapist.
What to expect on the day
Interview
All interviews will be conducted online using Microsoft Teams.
If you have been offered an online interview, please ensure that you download the Microsoft Teams app on your preferred device and check that your microphone and speakers are working. You are welcome to use headphones for the interview if you prefer. Please consider your location during the interview carefully; try to ensure that you have good stable internet access and will be undisturbed. We recommend that you use a laptop or PC rather than a mobile device. You may also want to consider having a drink with you, such as a glass/bottle of water.
Welcome
Once all candidates have joined the interview, a member of the admissions team will spend a few minutes welcoming you and explaining the format of the interview. The interview will be a group interview.
Interview panel
There will be one or two interviewers which normally includes members of the physiotherapy course team.
Group interview
You will be interviewed with up to six other people where you will be expected to engage in group discussion about each question posed by the interview panel. This is your chance to demonstrate your commitment and motivation to undertake the Physiotherapy course. We are looking for applicants to demonstrate an understanding of the role of a Physiotherapist, an understanding of the profession and its scope of practice, and an open and enquiring mind to learning personally, professionally and academically. You will also be assessed on your understanding of the importance of the NHS values and your understanding of their application to physiotherapy. We are also assessing how well you can work in a group, express your ideas clearly and your communication skills. To assist with your preparation for this task, you may wish to access a range of online material concerning the NHS constitution and the 6Cs.
Answering your questions
After your interview, all our applicants will be offered the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. The interview is a two-way process for us to find out about each other, so please take the opportunity to ask any questions.
Paul Shawcross (Course Director)
Abhineet John (Admissions Tutor)
Podiatry is both an academic discipline and a branch of medicine, involving work with people of all ages and backgrounds, often with medical conditions or disabilities. We understand that interviews can feel intimidating, but our aim is not to catch you out. We want to see that, with our support, you have the potential to become a podiatrist with the knowledge, clinical skills, and leadership capabilities to excel in your career.
Top tips to help you prepare
We want to help you make the most of your interview with u, so here are a few suggestions of things that you can do when preparing for your interview.
Review the Coventry University Podiatry and Leadership MSc course page to understand the course fully.
Reflect on:
- your motivation for undertaking podiatry training at this point in your career
- why you have chosen Coventry University
- the scope and breadth of podiatry practice and why it interests you
- the skills and values of a good podiatrist, and how you demonstrate them
- how you cope with challenging situations
- explore the Royal College of Podiatry website and the NHS website to gain further insight into the profession.
Previous experience
Applicants should demonstrate experience working with people and the skills gained from such experiences. This can include paid or voluntary work, group projects, fundraising, or sports participation. Work-shadowing in a podiatry clinic will strengthen your application and may be discussed at interview.
What to expect on the day
Welcome and overview
The interview will begin with a short welcome and explanation of the process.
Interview panel
One or two interviewers, typically members of the Podiatry course team, will conduct the interview.
Individual and group interviews
- Most interviews are individual, but some may involve up to four candidates in a group discussion.
- You will be asked questions about your motivation, understanding of podiatry and commitment to the course.
We assess:
- understanding of the role and scope of podiatry personal, professional, and academic curiosity
- knowledge of NHS values and their application
- communication skills and clarity of expression.
Admissions Tutor/Course Lead: Lisa Chandler
