Congratulations, you have
successfully navigated the application form, survived longlisting
and shortlisting, and made it to one or possibly two interviews!
There may only be two weeks notice for the interview, so it is
advisable to prepare in advance.
The interview will be
scored separately from the application form, though all
interviewers will have access to the answers on your application
form. Candidates will be ranked according to their interview score
and posts will be offered accordingly. Following the first round of
offers, a clearing system will be used in England to match
appointable but unappointed candidates to remaining vacancies
within deaneries. In round two you will be invited to one
interview only.
What to bring with you to the
interview
Individual deaneries will
advise you on the list of documentary evidence required at
interview to support your application.
As a minimum you will have to bring:
- proof of your identity (photo-ID)
- GMC certificate: original and photocopy
- originals and photocopies of all
qualifications listed on your application
- evidence of completion of foundation
competencies: your professional portfolio
- evidence of educationally approved posts
cited in your application
- evidence of nationality/ immigration status
(if applicable)
- evidence of English language skills (if
applicable)
It is, therefore, advisable to prepare the
documentation well in advance of any interviews.
Interview Structure
Interviews in England
(for both rounds one and two) follow a standardised structure and
scoring criteria. The number and background of interviewers will
vary between deaneries but are likely to be consultant
psychiatrists.
The interview will comprise of three stations,
each of 10 minutes duration.
- Before the first station
you will have 20 minutes to prepare a short piece of written work
about yourself and your experiences;
- Station 1: Review of
portfolio and essay
- Station 2: Research,
audit and the application of principles to evidence based
medicine
- Station 3: Good clinical
care and probity – clinical knowledge and skills and the
application of ethical reasoning. This is likely to be assessed via
clinical scenarios.
In 2009, interviews in Scotland were
structured as follows:
- One station to check paperwork;
- Then two formal stations of approximately 15
minutes duration:
Station 1: Interview – general questions,
review of portfolio, audit, research and hot topics.
Station 2: Clinical scenarios, for example
management of delirium, assessment of the suicidal patient.
The interview in-depth
The interview is designed
to assess your appointability to psychiatric training i.e. your
motivation, enthusiasm and potential to succeed in psychiatry. Do
not be too daunted by this statement: they want to know that you
can be trained as a psychiatrist, not that you have the competence
of a consultant psychiatrist.
The interview will assess
both clinical and personal skills. It is your opportunity to
demonstrate that you fulfill the essential criteria in Good
Psychiatric Practice and the person specification. It is an
opportunity to show you have as many of the desirable criteria as
possible. Be clear about why you are interested in the post and the
evidence that makes you suitable for the job. The interview is your
opportunity to demonstrate commitment to the specialty both within
your medical career and in your extra-curricular activities and/or
voluntary work. Be prepared to qualify every statement on your
application form and clarify your answers with evidence from your
portfolio.
Common mistakes that
candidates make include giving superficial answers, talking about
the achievements of the team rather than focussing on their own
contribution, and forgetting to address all parts of a structured
question. It may be helpful to practice giving structured answers,
using power words and active verbs, and illustrating each point
with an example. You could consider using the STAR
technique for tackling questions requiring a personal example:
|
S
|
Situation
|
Describe the context of the example
|
|
T
|
Task
|
Explain what you had to achieve, obstacles,
issues to address
|
|
A
|
Action
|
Explain the action you took, why you did it,
how you achieved it, the skills and attributes you employed.
|
|
R
|
Result/ Reflect
|
What did you achieve, what did you learn, how
has it changed you?
|
Common areas to be questioned about in
applying for any speciality include:
- Knowledge of the job/ speciality
- Motivation/ commitment to the speciality
- Clinical skills
- Personal qualities
- Outside interests
- Hot topics for the speciality and NHS
- Professional integrity
See ten top tips for interview success.
Page last updated on 22 May
by E Baker-Glenn