Interview question: Why should we give you an offer instead of another candidate; what separates you from the rest?

In answering this question, you will need to be careful, with the examiner looking forward to hearing your strengths, whilst also expecting you to be very careful in treading the line between arrogance and confidence. You should of course make reference to the strengths you have, but ultimately, the main thing that separates you from the hordes of other prospective medical students are your experiences. If you provide a few short sentences regarding how all students interviewing will be intelligent, and how this includes yourself, you can then move onto providing an experience which no other student can even hope to compare against; as experiences are not directly comparable, which is what they are trying to make you do in answering this question. In providing an experience and explanation which is not comparable, you are able to answer the question in a unique way whilst also demonstrating your aptitude for a medical career. For example, the following is how I would answer this question. "Of course, all students who have reached this stage of being interviewed will have a strong academic profile, coupled with the necessary relevant experiences such as work experience and voluntary work. The main thing that distinguishes me from other students, is the experiences I have had - nobody will have the exact same experiences that I have had. Having grown up in an environment where neither of my parents had any formal education, the desire to learn was always strong in my heart from the very beginning of my education, meaning I can handle the workload that a medical career requires, whereas the empathy I have developed caring for my disabled father has made me much more emotionally resilient, as I have seen, first-hand, how debilitating chronic diseases can be. The reason why I stand out from the rest of the candidates is that these experiences have shaped me into the person I am today, and there is much more to me than meets the eye, more than the academic merit and relevant work experience which has brought me before you today, which is down to how I have learnt from my experiences."