Founder, InterviewMD
Shanaka Jayakody
The coach behind 1,100+ medical applicants, and a 92% offer rate into medicine.
Trusted by 1,100+ students
92%
of his students received a med school offer.
1,100+
students guided through medical admissions.
14k+
hours of real, one-to-one coaching.
2
published medical admissions books.
A track record that speaks for itself
More than a decade in medical admissions preparation, 1,100+ students coached, and 92% of them walking away with an offer into medicine. Shanaka’s results come from one belief: the strongest applicant in the room is the one being genuinely themselves.
His students have gone on to study at some of the most competitive universities in the world.
Who is Shanaka?
Shanaka Jayakody is a Melbourne educator, an alumnus of Melbourne High School, and the co-founder of InterviewMD.
For more than a decade he has worked in one place: the gap between a student who deserves a place in medicine and the offer letter that proves it.
Over that time he has personally guided 1,100+ students through medical admissions, coaching them for the UCAT, CASPer, the Bond University psychometric assessment and, above all, the medical school interview.
92% of those students have gone on to receive an offer into medicine.
His approach is simple, and it is the foundation InterviewMD is built on. Interviewers can tell when an applicant is reciting.
So instead of handing students a script, Shanaka helps them find the stories, values and reasoning they already have, then shape them into answers that are clear, structured and unmistakably their own.
Beyond InterviewMD, he is the founder and CEO of MedWithPurpose, the founder of Omthentic and The PrepBond Academy, and the author of two UCAT preparation books under the UCAT Secrets imprint.
He also leads character and culture education in Melbourne schools with the charity ShareTree.
Shanaka Jayakody
Co-Founder, InterviewMD · Melbourne, Australia
Building the future of medical admissions
Years spent building, coaching and teaching inside medical admissions.
Co-Founder
From 2024
InterviewMD
Medical school interview preparation combining one-to-one coaching with software that adapts to how the individual applicant thinks.
Founder
From 2025
The PrepBond Academy
Preparation for the MSCEIT, the psychometric assessment used in Bond University medical admissions. Independent of Bond University and not endorsed by it.
Founder
From 2024
Omthentic
A venture house building technology for authentic human expression, helping people communicate as themselves rather than to a script.
Character & Culture Lead
From 2021
ShareTree
Character and culture education with a Melbourne charity, bringing values development into schools alongside academic preparation.
Founder & CEO
From 2021
MedWithPurpose
Australian medical admissions preparation: UCAT Mastery with 25,000 practice questions, Interview Mastery for MMI and panel formats, and CASPer preparation with AI marking.
Medicine Student
2011 to 2016
Monash University
Shanaka studied medicine at Monash University, so he has been through the same medical school journey his students are preparing for.
Real students, real offers
Whether he is working one-on-one or with a group of 35 students, Shanaka takes the same approach. He listens to how each student thinks, works out what makes their story and experiences stand out, then helps them communicate that clearly in the interview.
The goal is not to give students scripted answers. It is to help them speak naturally, think clearly under pressure and come across as themselves.
That approach has helped 92% of InterviewMD students receive an offer into medicine.
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Published work
Podcasts, panels & press
- 2018
Education Reform
One Percent Better Podcast
- 2020
Work Without Walls
Panel discussion
- 2021
Med School Exposed
KIS Academics Conference
- 2021
UCAT Masterclass
KIS Academics
What students and parents say
Every review below is from a real student or parent, and links to the original on Trustpilot.
Kemindu Karunaratne
Mar 30, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5InterviewMD got me into Medical School!
Before I found InterviewMD, I was really anxious about my interview preparation. I worried that I might come across as robotic and rehearsed, and I questioned whether I could handle unexpected questions under pressure. I didn't want to walk into my interview relying solely on hope, I needed real preparation. What surprised me most about InterviewMD was the genuine support I received from Shanaka and Namreetha. They went beyond just teaching me what to say; they helped me understand how to approach my responses authentically.
Read full review →Venny
Apr 4, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5InterviewMD helped me get into Med School!!!
Before I found InterviewMD, I was really worried about preparing for my medical school interview since I had never sat for an interview before and had no idea where to start. However, my experience with InterviewMD completely transformed my approach. I loved how tailored the feedback was to my responses; it wasn't just general advice but specific insights that helped me refine my answers and improve significantly.
Read full review →.jpg&w=96&q=75&dpl=dpl_2znKECBCgt5P28JXCiKYMgA1YRBD)
Ricky Joseph John
Oct 5, 2022
Rated 5 out of 5Don't think twice!
Shanaka helped me to prepare for my interview for med school and it was one of the best training I have ever done. He helped me to better understand myself and play to my strengths. His approach is different in that it's not just about learning the tricks and techniques but really using your own character to your advantage. He made the whole process fun and even helped to to end up enjoying the interview. Would recommend to anyone without skipping a beat.
Read full review →Satish
Sep 30, 2021
Rated 5 out of 5Speaking to Shanaka has instilled…
Speaking to Shanaka has instilled confidence that he will guide our daughter towards achieving her goal.
View on Trustpilot →Samarth Dhatrak
Jan 12, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5Excellent
Excellent. (Sorry for the late review!)
View on Trustpilot →Sreya Samuel
Feb 12, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5Shanaka definitely saved me when I was preparing!!
I found the structure of the course so helpful and it reduced a lot of stress and uncertainty that I had. I would definitely recommend using all of the resources because these are super valuable and ensured I was on the right trajectory in regards to all of the sections. Shanaka had so many tips and tricks, and I found doing one-on-one sessions occasionally really helped me because we were able to identify my personal strengths and weaknesses and set goals for the next week or so. I highly recommend this course to everyone!
Read full review →Usayd Omer
Aug 9, 2022
Rated 5 out of 5Changed my entire mind. Made me evolve into what I know I can be
I improved in ways I didn't even think possible. For me personally, Shanaka felt like a big brother type of role and supported me in medicine and aspects and more importantly life aspects. I truly believe my whole character and personality has changed and evolved from the things I learnt from the course and Shanaka himself. I'm happy because this program really did change almost everything about me in a beneficial way
Read full review →Rated Excellent
Rated 4.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot
Our Trustpilot reviews are listed under our parent company, Medwithpurpose.
Read every review on Trustpilot →
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