Health course interviews

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Physiotherapy  |  Occupational Therapy  |  Nursing

Physiotherapy

Go to: What to expect on the day  |  What to bring

You have shown us that you are a strong applicant, and now you have been invited to an Interview Day to prove your skills.

On the day, you will have an individual interview that will last for around 20 minutes. You will also get the chance to speak to our current students and ask any questions about studying at York St John.

You will be asked to arrive by 9.30am. The latest you will have to leave is 4.30pm.

What to expect at the interview

• 9.30am to 10.00am: Registration with Admissions and Recruitment.
• 10.00am to 11.15am: DBS and certificate checks and campus tour with Student Ambassadors.
• 11.15am to 12.00pm: Course talk delivered by a member of the Physiotherapy team.
• 12.00am to 12.30pm: Q&A session with current Physiotherapy students.
• 12.30pm to 1.30pm: Lunch.
• 1.30pm to 4.30pm: Individual interviews.

Individual interviews usually last around 20 minutes.

What you need to bring

• Certificates: All GCSEs, Level 3s (A levels, BTECs), degree certificates. If your grades are pending, you do not need to bring confirmation of what you are studying.
• ID: You will need 3 items of ID to allow us to start your DBS and Medical Check. A passport, birth certificate or full driving licence will be sufficient for the first 2 documents. A bank statement, credit card statement or a P45/P60 will suffice for the third.

Occupational Therapy

Go to: What to expect on the day  |   What to bring  |  Tips and tricks

You will be asked to arrive by 9.30am for your Interview Day.

What to expect at the interview

• 9.30am: Registration with Admissions and Recruitment and allocation of interviews.
• 10.00am to 11.15am: DBS and certificate check and campus tours with Student Ambassadors.
• 11.15am to 12:00pm: Occupational Therapy subject talk and short written task.
• 12.15pm to 12.45pm: Occupational Therapy group interviews, with a member of staff.
• 12.45pm to 1.30pm: Lunch.
• 1.30pm onwards: Individual interviews.

Interviews will include topics such as:

• The value of promoting health and wellbeing.
• Your understanding of Occupational Therapy as a profession.
• A chance to share your motives for wanting to study Occupational Therapy and identify personal qualities that you can bring to the profession.
• Personal resilience to study Occupational Therapy.

What you need to bring

• Certificates: All GCSEs, Level 3s (A levels, BTECs), degree certificates. If your grades are pending, you do not need to bring confirmation of what you are studying.
• ID: You will need 3 items of ID to allow us to start your DBS and Medical Check. A passport, birth certificate or full driving licence will be sufficient for the first 2 documents. A bank statement, credit card statement or a P45/P60 will suffice for the third.

Top tips

Our 3rd year Occupational Therapy student Lizzie describes her interview and gives you her top tips.

To be accepted onto the course I had to complete a 2 part interview which included a 1 to 1 interview and a group interview working on a given scenario. I was quite nervous for my interview as I really wanted to go to York St John. The group scenarios can be hard but it's nice to meet other people wanting to study Occupational Therapy. In the interview scenario everyone wants to help each other succeed.

My group was given a picture of a very messy bathroom to look at and we had to suggest how you could make the environment safer. We did this as a discussion, which felt less formal than the 1 to 1 interview. My individual interview included questions about why I wanted to study Occupational Therapy, what skills I thought were needed for the job, why I wanted to study at York St John and what I thought I could bring to the course. I found the interviewer friendly and reassuring if I couldn't answer the question.

Lizzie's top tips for interviews:

• Remember that the interviewers and staff want you to succeed. They won't try and trip you up.
• Preparation is very helpful! Looking at example questions online and preparing for general questions such as why you want to study the topic and key skills needed means you'll feel calmer when they get asked.
• Be smiley and make eye contact. Your body language also helps to present you well.
• Get to know the other candidates. It can be helpful to learn about other interview experiences.
• Leave plenty of time to get there so you don't have any extra stress about being late.
• Ask questions about the course or anything that comes up in the interview. This shows enthusiasm and that you really want to study that course!

Nursing

Go to: What to expect on the day  |  What to bring

You will be asked to arrive no later than 9.30am for your Nursing Interview Day.

What to expect at the interview

Your interview will be with an academic and a service user. You may want to prepare by reading the Nursing and Midwife Council Code (PDF, 0.5MB), as our course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Timings for the day are as follows:

• 9.30am to 10.00am: Registration with Admissions and Recruitment.
• 10.00am to 11.00am: DBS and certificate checks and campus tour with Student Ambassadors.
• 11.00pm to 5.00pm: Talk by our academic staff, followed by lunch. You will then attend your individual interview slot between 1.00pm and 5.00pm. You will be able to take a facilities tour during the afternoon. If your interview ends before 5.00pm, you will be free to leave.

What you need to bring

• Certificates: All GCSEs, Level 3s (A levels, BTECs), degree certificates. If your grades are pending, you do not need to bring confirmation of what you are studying.
• ID: You will need 3 items of ID to allow us to start your DBS and Medical Check. A passport, birth certificate or full driving licence will be sufficient for the first 2 documents. A bank statement, credit card statement or a P45/P60 will suffice for the third.