Course Description
The Oxford Medical ST & CT Interview Course is designed to help you stand out from the crowd and make sure you achieve success. Delivered by NHS Consultants, it is the essential interview preparation course.
Competition for UK ST, CT, ACCS or IMT programme training posts is always high. Of the almost 8,000 positions available for starting August 2022, applications outmatched previous years, leading to a fill rate of 99.7%. On average, there are around two applicants for every position. Some specialties often have as many as 9 candidates or more for each post. Specific ratios for each post vary each year and can be hard to predict – Health Education England providing less detail for the latest intake than in previous years. With this level of competition, effective preparation is essential to standing out and becoming a successful interview candidate.
The ST & CT Medical Interview Course
Our course is designed for doctors seeking entry to a specialist training or core training programme, including both Core Surgical Training and Internal Medicine Training and runs in our Virtual Classroom. We help you understand the current set up in terms of purpose, aims and structure of your CT, ST, ACCS or IMT medical interview. You will learn how to:
- identify your areas of strength, your unique selling points and how to capitalise on them
- deliver not just an effective, knowledgeable answer but to do this with a structured and flexible approach
- deliver exceptional responses to challenging questions on management, leadership, ethical dilemmas and current NHS issues
- turn a difficult question into one which sells your strengths making you an attractive appointment
- ensure that you have the correct mindset to perform at your best
You also practice your interview technique via a recorded mock interview with constructive feedback tailored to your needs. Being recorded is optional.
You receive a certificate for 6 CPD points for participation in the 1-day Course.
Please note: Each event is likely to include doctors who are seeking a broad range training posts. This includes some interested in pursuing physician based disciplines and others who have surgical ambitions. Coaching or instruction on technical/clinical skills are out of scope for this course.
ST/CT Medical Interview Guide
During this one day course an experienced NHS Consultant will teach you the important interview skills and techniques to use in your interview. This is supported by your digital copy of our 124 page ST / CT Medical Interview Guide which is included in the course package. This is the digital version when you book your course in our Virtual Classroom.
Online Support Materials
Our support begins as soon as you register for the event as you will have instant access to our ST / CT Interview Online Preparation (worth £80) for 120 days – with an option to extend. This includes 2 hours of our online NHS & UK Medical Regulation Video Tutorials. You receive a certificate for 2 CPD points for completing this section of the material.
We also give you access to our Medical Interview Preparation Online Library of useful links. This excellent resource will both assist and direct your further preparation by pulling together the most important reports and additional reading with explanatory summaries.
Mock Interview Video
Every candidate will receive a mock ST/CT interview. We then give you feedback so that you can learn how to improve. Feedback is individual, unique to this course and usually highlights specific areas for each candidate to work on during the post course period. You can download and review your mock interview video after the course at your leisure.
Small Group Training
Never underestimate the value of training for interview with your peers. To ensure that we strike the right balance, enabling you to learn from the experiences of both your tutor and the other delegates, we keep our group sizes to a maximum of just 6 delegates per course.
Who is this course suitable for?
We’ve designed and deliver this Oxford Medical Training interview course specifically for doctors preparing to attend CT1, ACCS, IMT, ST1 or ST3+ interviews. Through practice, presentations, interactive group discussions and your mock interview, you are guided in preparing to present yourself at your very best. As the focus is interview skills rather than on technical or clinical, doctors interested in medical training posts and those with a surgical interest attend the same events.
Free information
If you’re thinking about applying for a training programme, or already have an application underway, then our Interview Preparation Free Advice is there to help you. Whether or not you decide to book a course you will find a wealth of thought provoking blog-posts on our News & Insights pages. We update these pages on a regular basis, making sure there is always something worthwhile to read. A good place to start would be with Who is the perfect ST/CT Interview candidate?
Booking a course
We’ve listed all available dates for scheduled courses further up this page for you. Simply select the option which works best for you and enter your details to secure your place.
ST & CT Medical Interview Course FAQ
- We ask all Virtual Classroom delegates to log in at 08:45 using the link provided in your email with all your joining information which you will receive 3 days before your course starts. If you have not received this information 48 hours before your course is due to start, please contact us at [email protected].
- For In-Person delegates, we ask you to arrive at the venue between 08:30-08:45 on the morning of your course to meet your tutor and fellow delegates over tea and coffee.
You will find further help with our most common queries on our general Frequently Asked Questions page.
