My ST3 interview in acute medicine

This post is about my experience. Please note that your CV will be different than mine and it is important to tailor your answers to your personal experiences during the interview. 


Making your portfolio:
This is your folder which contains evidence of what you have done so far. This can include projects you have done in your home country and in the NHS.
It is pretty clear on what to do here:
https://www.st3recruitment.org.uk/recruitment-process/interview/preparing-for-interview

Materials you need to prepare your portfolio:
1. Printer - you can use your hospitals printer however it is good to have your own printer at home in case you want to print something out at the last minute. 
2. File:
You need 2 arch lever files. There are plenty of shops you can get this from:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/
https://www.staples.co.uk/
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/
And even your local grocery store.
3. A4 size plastic wallets - so that you can print out your materials and put them securely in these. 
4. Extra wide file dividers such as these:
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/whsmith-extra-wide-10-part-a4-card/33301457
5. A marker to number the dividers making it easier for the interviewers to find the relevant evidence. 
6. Paper based assessments/e portfolio. 

Your eligibility folder:

This what I put in my evidence folder:
Copies/print outs of:
1. Passport (plus original)
2. Biometric Resident Permit  (plus original)
3. Certificate of sponsorship of current job 
4. Current job offer letter 
5. MBBS certificate  (plus original)
6. GMC license to practice 
7. MRCP 1 result – passed 
8. MRCP 2 result – passed 
9. MRCP PACES result – failed (I will book my PACES exam on the 25th of March, 2019) 
10. Copy of email from Health Education England which mentioned my training number for my core medical training programme. 
11. My ALS certificate (plus original)

Your evidence folder:

Do not forget to print out the evidence summary form and mention the contents of your evidence folder here. There is also a section in which you can add a list of evidence documents which you forgot to add when you applied for this particular post.
This will vary from candidate to candidate.

This is what I had put in mine:

Additional achievements 
1. Highest achievement certificate in GCE O levels 
2. Nomination for Junior Doctor award in the category of compassionate care in York Hospital during my core medical training year 2. (I attached the email I received about this from the medical directorate)
3. Nomination for Junior Doctor award in the category of Team Player in York Hospital during my core medical training year 2.  (I attached the email I received about this from the medical directorate)

MRCP UK 
1. MRCP 1 result (I attached my result sheet)
2. MRCP 2 result (I attached my result sheet)

Presentations
(I attached a copy of slides - 6 slides on one paper for each of these presentations)
1. Teaching session on “Renal medicine on the acute take” during my core medical year 2 training. 
2. Presentation on polypharmacy in elderly in a local departmental meeting during my core medical year 1 training. 
3. Presentation on “ International medical graduates- understanding the core differences” in a national conference during my core medical year 1 training.
4. Presentation on Alcohol withdrawal audit in November, 2016 in a local trust educational meeting. 
5. Presentation on Escitalopram in depression in my home country during my residency. 

Teaching experience
During core medical training year 2 (August 2018 to date):
1. Teaching I did on “Renal medicine on the acute take” in our weekly AMU teaching session. 
2. A reflection on my blog (ww.omarsguidelines.blogspot.com) which I use to guide doctors who plan to work in the NHS and are currently working in the NHS. 

During core medical training year 1 (August 2017 to July 2018):
 1. Teaching assessment by one of the organizers of a conference in which I presented on “ International medical graduates- understanding the core differences” in a national conference during my core medical year 1 training. 
2. Print out of slides on my teaching session on “Polypharmacy in the elderly” during my rotation in Geriatrics.

 During my non training job (Jan, 2016 to July 2017):
 1. A copy of an “International Medical Graduates” guidance booklet I made with my colleagues in my previous job in 2017. 
2. Print outs of emails by my consultants requesting me to guide new international medical graduates who were due to start in the NHS. 
3. Teaching assessment forms filled by new international medical graduate doctors when I guided them on how the NHS functions. 

Training in teaching 
1. Certificate of a trust based e module I have done for training 
2. Certificate of BMJ e modules I have completed for teaching small groups. 

Quality improvement
(I attached QIP assessment forms and certificates)
1. Quality improvement project on “Ensuring that Parkinsons patients seen as an outpatient in neurology clinic are asked whether they are driving and if they are, to advise them to inform the DVLA” in core medical training year 1.
2. Quality improvement project on “Alcohol withdrawal” in my non training job. 

On going projects (I attached a print out of my QIP plan from my e portfolio): 
1. Quality improvement project on management of hyponatremia 
2. Quality improvement project on management of hyperkalemia 
3. Quality improvement project on managing paracetamol overdose patients 

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 
1. Certificate of Leadership course I attended in York 
2. Copy of assessments stating that I have good leadership skills ( I printed out MCRs, MSFs, ACATs and highlighted the points related to leadership)

COMMITMENT TO SPECIALTY 
1. Assessment forms from consultants, colleagues and nursing staff ( I printed out MCRs, MSFs, ACATs and highlighted the points related to my commitment)
 2. Copy of my reflections on interesting cases I have seen 

ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSIDE MEDICINE 
1. My blog- www.omarsguidelines.blogspot.com which has had over 1 million views 
2. A print out of the Facebook groups I started with a few colleagues to guide International Medical Graduates: 
- International Medical Graduates working in the UK, which has around 80,000 members 
- PLAB 2 and GMC registration group which has 40,000 members 

TRAINING COURSES ATTENDED 
Core medical training year 2:
1. Leadership and management course 
2. Course on central line insertion 
3. CMT teaching I have attended .
Printouts from my reflections on my e portfolio. 

Core medical training year 1: 
1. Course on “End of life care” 
2. Course on cardioversion 
3. Courses on core medical training skills 
4. CMT teaching I have attended . Printouts from my reflections on my e portfolio. 

In my non training post: 
1. CMT simulation course in Medical Emergencies – Certificate 
2. CMT simulation course in procedures – Certificate 
3. RCP annual conference 2017 certificate of attendance 
4. BMJ e learning – Platinum certificate for completing more than 30 e –modules 
5. BMJ e modules portfolio report 
6. RCP module on TIA clinic 
7. CPD certificates of webinars I attended on the BMA website 
8. Certificates for attending MPS workshops
9. CMT teaching I have attended . Printouts from my reflections on my e portfolio 
10. Certificate of attendance : GMC webinars 

 In my home country, Pakistan: 
1. ACLS and BLS certificates of the training I received in my home country (American Heart Association) 
2. Certificate of a workshop on Dengue I attended in my home country

What to wear:
Suit and tie for males, blazer and blouse for females. This is an official interview. Not a ward round/PACES exam.

Getting there:
I drove to my interview which was 1 hour, 30 minutes away. Remember that you need to factor in traffic. If you usually do not drive then you may not have an idea of how busy it is especially in rush hour. So keep a window period of at least 1 hour. Unfortunately, I got stuck in traffic however given that I left my house 3 hours prior to the interview, I was able to get there on time. 
Some candidates may choose to take the train. Please factor in delays here as well. Nowadays, there are frequent delays and this can become very frustrating at peak hours. I would suggest you keep a similar window period ( ie 1 hour) to be on the safe side. 

What if I am late:
It is not worth driving fast/running to the interview. Usually they will slot you in the next session.
If you are supposed to give the interview at 1035 but are running late, inform the staff (call them. The contact details are given here:
https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/Web/RecruitmentLead ). They will book for the next session that day ( usually they run up to 4 or even more sessions in one day in the same place). You must contact them immediately if you are running late. 

My interview:

My first station:
Clinical scenario (interview station 3):
It was a typical case of syncope and how to manage it. If you have been on call, it is just talking to the examiners about everything from the history to investigations to management. 
They gave me an ECG as asked me to interpret it. 

My second station:
Ethical scenario (interview station 2):
Dealing with an angry relative. 
Again, just like above it is what we see as SHOs day in and day out. It was all about ensuring confidentiality, giving the actual facts, assuring the relative.
Professionalism:
Then the other examiner asked me about what I would do if I was a registrar and if my SHO was not seeing enough patients on a busy take. This scenario has been discussed in detail in the interview book. 

My third station:
Portfolio station (interview station 1).
My interviewers had already gone through my portfolio in detail before I entered the room. They had noted down point which they asked me about.
They asked me about why I wanted to do acute medicine
What changes I would like to see in acute medicine 
What is the future of acute medicine 
The importance of ambulatory care
What interests I had.

They asked me about my blog and what issues I have faced, how I have overcome them and what I plan to do with it. They had actually opened it on their phones and had read through it. 

They asked me about my teaching sessions. 
Then they asked my about my quality improvement projects and audits. 

Then they asked me about why I enjoyed acute medicine. 

The whole interview (ie stations 1, 2 and 3) lasted for an hour. 

Here are my tips:
1. You should be well prepared for your interview. The interview book I mentioned earlier in this post helped me a lot. Yes, it is all about the individual candidate however the book helps you give structure to your answers and helps you to ensure that your strengths are highlighted. Never give an answer which is a "copy paste" of what is written in the interview book.
My suggestion for this is to ask yourself the questions in the interview book ( like "where do you see yourself in ten years"), practice your answer in front of a mirror and then read what is mentioned in the book. Make improvements to your answer by using advice in the interviews book. 

2. You should know why you want to do that particular specialty. For this, you should be passionate about it and that passion should come out in your evidence folder. 

3. Preparing for a ST3 interview is not done overnight - I showed evidence from 3 years ago when I was working as a non trainee SHO in the NHS. I had a lot of material to prove that I was committed to this field. As mentioned above, it resonated by the feedback which was given in my assessment forms. 
Your preparation for your ST3 interview starts on the day you start working in the NHS. Make sure that you have plenty of assessments/feedback from nurses, colleagues, consultants, ward clerks, etc. 

4. Do not forget to print out the evidence summary form:
https://www.st3recruitment.org.uk/documents
This is your table of contents. This is what your interviewers will refer to.

5. Provide evidence of whatever you have done/are doing. 
I did not have evidence for my ongoing QIPs. Therefore I printed out a "Quality Improvement Project Plan" from my e portfolio. However I had completed 2 projects already. You must make sure that you have completed at least one of the QIP/audits you are mentioning. 

6. Do not worry if you have scored low on your application. The interview carries more marks. 

7. Highlight anything outstanding. Printing a MCR from your e portfolio may just be missed however if you have highlighted points like "This doctor frequently stepped up as a registrar" , etc it will help the interviews get a better idea of you as a doctor. 

8. The interviewers are always thinking " Will this doctor be a good registrar". So answer your clinical questions which resonates this - by being safe, knowledgeable and escalating to the appropriate teams/individuals when necessary. 

9. The interview questions are basic things we do day in/day out when we are on call. So no special preparation is required. The fact that you have passed your MRCP exams/are in core medical training means that you have the knowledge. 

10. Everything is available on these websites:
https://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk/Recruitment/Person-specifications
Please read these in detail. 

Best of luck. 




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