Updated 31st October 2024.
Are you thinking about the next stage in your career? Is that next step securing your place on an internal medical training, core training, or specialist training programme? Well, on this page we give you an overview of what to expect and share some valuable advice. We’ve helped thousands of doctors successfully prepare for interview over the past 20 years. So, you’re in good company in reading this webpage to help your preparations.
Process overview
It’s essential to realise that the interview process is not the pass/fail exam format that you have experienced so often in your medical career to date. Yes, you need to reach some basic standards. However, the training programme recruitment teams want to take on the very best candidates available to them. So, assuming you reach their basic standards, you are now in direct competition with all the other applicants who have applied for the same programme.
Although the exact approach, in terms of time-scale, application methods and interview format varies from one to another, the IMT, CST and other ST medical interview processes all follow the general pattern below.
For IMT the application stage involves a system of self-assessment scoring, whereas for CST, the process includes selecting a series of indicators in order to demonstrate your levels of experience.
You may be surprised to see that we’ve put “Gain experience” as the first step. But without experience, you won’t have anything to refer to when you score your self-assessment or select your indicators at the application stage. You would also have very little to talk about during the interview itself if you managed to get to that stage. So, a proactive approach to your development is always going to help you. We’ll return to this idea at several points on this page.
Recruitment processes for UK training programmes are managed by a variety of organisations. Yet, the vast majority of applications are processed through the NHS Oriel system. A thorough user guide and up-to-date timelines are available at www.oriel.nhs.uk.
Application scoring and index page indicators
As mentioned, the majority of recruitment processes use the approach of submitting a systematic digital application in order to share your experience with the recruitment team. IMT recruitment utilises a numerical self-assessment scoring system where you grade yourself against various defined criteria. From 2024, for CST applications, you are asked to submit an index page which includes selecting the appropriate “indicator” letter from a list of options.” The terminology may differ, but the principles are similar. You are asked to submit evidence to demonstrate how well you fulfil each element of the criteria and to rate yourself in line with the published guidance. Again, exact detail and awarding of points varies from one programme to another and may change from one year to another.
For IMT, the list for August 2025 intake includes providing evidence and rating yourself for:
- Presentations/posters
- Publications
- Teaching Experience
- Training in Teaching
- Quality improvement
For 2024/25 Core Surgical Training applications you are asked to provide evidence and select the appropriate indicator to reflect your experience in the following categories:
- Surgical experience
- Quality improvement and/or clinical audit
- Publications/Presentations
- Teaching Experience (which includes training in teaching, such as a Teach the Teacher course)
It can take a fair bit of time to complete your digital application. So, if you know when the application window is going to open, then it makes good sense to plan ahead.
Each year, we receive numerous enquiries from doctors who are confused about how to include reference to courses they have taken in their application. Selecting an appropriate Teach the Teacher course is one of the most common queries.
The latest published information available is that you can select indicator “D” from an A-E scale in your CST application for taking any of our Teach the Teacher courses.
IMT and ACCS applications require your course to be with a live tutor. So, you can claim 1 point for having attended our tutor-led 2 day Teach the Teacher Course for an IMT or ACCS application.
It is essential to realise that these processes of rating yourself are only relevant for the application stage. Your final rating will be decided by your interviewers if and when you get to the next stage. Your interview is far more than a box ticking exercise to list what courses you’ve taken. The outcome depends on how well you can demonstrate what you have learned from taking your course and how you have applied this. Effectively participating and competing any good training course should stimulate ideas and equip you with theory and techniques that you can then put into practice, which you can then share as evidence of experience at your interview. So, it’s not just about gaining application “points”.
The application processes are often published at very short notice, just ahead of the application deadline. We’ll return to this point in our section on Preparation Tips further down this webpage.
Doctors of all levels must adhere to the highest standards of probity. So, you must resist any temptation to exaggerate your experience, inflating your self-assessment score or being dishonest when selecting your indicator level. Recruitment teams, quite rightly, take a very dim view on this. Along with checking your evidence against the various criteria, your application is also thoroughly checked for honesty and integrity. Any issues with this and you could find your rating being reduced, your application refused or you could even be facing professional disciplinary action. So, be true to to the process and to yourself. If in any doubt about evidence or scoring, ask for guidance from your peers and supervisors.
Interview format
Assuming you have not only exceeded the basic standards, but scored well enough in your digital application, you will be invited to interview.
In recent years, many of the interview programmes for this level of medical career, but not all, have been conducted virtually. This has proven to be an efficient way of working for both the interview teams and candidates.
Again, although formats vary, the majority take the approach of a series of interview stations. Timing for each station is usually around 10-15 minutes and from any number of the following:
- Your career choices and motivations
- Your portfolio, achievements and personal qualities
- Ethical dilemmas and professional integrity
- Your clinical knowledge
- Patient communication, (potentially a role-play)
- Deliver a presentation on a given topic
- Demonstrate a practical skill
- Critically appraise an academic paper
You will be advised what to expect in advance to help your preparations.
Your interviewers will use your application as a reference to help them prepare. But it is your performance during each interview station which will determine the final grades that they award you.
Preparation tips
You’ll remember that we stated in the Process Overview that the first stage is to Gain Experience. It pays to think ahead and to be proactive.
Proactive personal development
You can set yourself on the path to success well in advance of the date when the application window opens. For example, if you know that your application is likely to include being scored on evidence of leadership, or quality improvement, then get involved and keep notes of your best experiences. You can then refer to these examples during your interview. Even better, completing a Medical Leadership and Management Course will give you good foundational principles to work with AND a CPD certificate which you can present as evidence in you application.
Communication skills also definitely benefit from such dedicated focus. Whether your priority is team or patient communication, there are both tutor-led and instant access online courses available which support you to review your current practice and hone your skills.
Each year, we experience a huge surge in doctors wanting to attend our Teach the Teacher Course when the application window opens. They all want to gain their certificate to boost their score. Inevitably, some are disappointed when courses are fully booked. In addition, those who have taken the course well in advance will again have had the opportunity to try out what they have learned and present this as good evidence of experience and ability at their interview.
Direct interview preparation
Whether you have been proactive in your personal development or not, you need to be able to present yourself, your experiences, abilities and opinions in an effective manner on the day of the interview. There’s a lot at stake and it’s normal to be nervous.
For any interview, your confidence will gain a boost if you have a firm understanding of 3 key areas and have practiced answering relevant interview questions.
- Know yourself – what are your motivations, strengths, best experiences and development requirements?
- Know the job – what will be expected of you in this training programme and where will it lead?
- Know the system – how does the training programme fit into the heathcare system?
If you’re confident that you can do that well, then you’re good to go! If not, then some dedicated support, such as our ST & CT Medical Interview Course or our ST & CT Medical Interview Guide book could be the ideal solutions for you.
You may also find it useful to explore the experiences of our Resident Doctor Panel.
Our panel members work in different roles and are at various stages of their careers. They share their experiences with us and with you via blog-posts and interviews that we share on our website and across social media. This includes discussing their successes and challenges, what helped them and what has hindered them, along with their thoughts on how to progress and what they have learned along the way.
So, are you taking positive steps to prepare for your interview?
Develop your abilities. Maximise your potential.
