CT and ST Medical Interview

Introduction

CT and ST medical interviews have become increasingly competitive. Our fully interactive one-day interview skills course will give you all the tools you need to prepare effectively:

• Max 15 participants. Plenty of feedback
• Comprehensive coverage of interview questions
• Interactive discussions around current issues
• Free personal support by email after the course
• Comprehensive handout

Structure of the CT/ST/SPR Interview Course

Topics covered include:

9:00 REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS
A chance for candidates to interact with their trainer and fellow candidates prior to the course to address and discuss general concerns and personal issues.

9:30 BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION
A look at a range of techniques to answer questions testing your background and motivation, including:

• Tell us about yourself.
• Take us about your CV.
• Why this specialty?
• Why this deanery?

11:00 GENERIC & ACADEMIC SKILLS
Learn how to structure and personalise answers through discussions and practice on:

• Communication skills
• Team playing
• Leadership and management
• Teaching, Audit and Research experience
• Handling stress and mistakes
• Strengths and weaknesses

13:00 LUNCH

13:45 RESEARCH, AUDIT, EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE, CLINICAL GOVERNANCE
An in-depth look at questions relating to academic matters important for ST applicants, including a close look at evidence-based medicine and clinical governance matters such as risk management. Further personal practice.

14:45 DIFFICULT COLLEAGUES & ETHICAL ISSUES
Workshop and discussions around various scenarios involving difficult work-based situations, including difficult colleagues (drunk consultant and other types of unfit colleagues) and consent/ethical issues.

16:00 NHS ISSUES
A look at current NHS hot topics, including:

• MMC & the Tooke report
• Practice-based commissioning, Payment by Results & Patient Choice
• The Darzi Report
• Revalidation
• EWTD & Hospital at night
• Extending role of nurses and other practitioners
• ISTCs

17:15 BODY LANGUAGE & OTHER ISSUES

17:30 CONCLUSION & END

WHO RUNS THE COURSES

All interview courses are run by very experienced tutors with in-depth knowledge of the ST interview process, communication skills and NHS issues. Courses are run in turn by:

• Dan Wood - Consultant Urologist
• Olivier Picard - Communication Consultant
• Sebastian Yuen - Consultant Paediatrician & Fellow of NHS Institute for Innovation & Improvement
• Larissa Kerecuk - Consultant in Paediatrics Nephrology

Over the course of the day, your tutor will get to know you well, which will enable him to give you personal feedback on your answers and performance.

WHY OUR COACHING IS SUCCESSFUL

Our medical interview technique courses are popular with doctors at all levels. Our coaching achieves a high success rate. There are five main reasons behind our success:

MAXIMUM 15 participants
We don't make you sit with 100 or 200 other people in a big lecture theatre like our competitors do. With a small group size of 15 people, we ensure that you get the maximum attention and support throughout the day and that you learn ST interview skills in a way that suits you personally.

Group activities and individual practice
Interview technique is not just about theory. It is primarily about practice. The small number of participants and our afternoon workshop ensure that you get plenty of individual practice. Real practice is what will make you succeed, not formal lectures.

We make you think for yourself
Our teaching strategy is to make you learn all key medical interview techniques through discussion and active participation.. We firmly believe that you will not learn to be good at interviews simply by being spoon-fed answers via a PowerPoint presentation. Instead, we make you think for yourself and ensure that you gain all the tools you need to answer any question thrown at you.

You will receive plenty of personal attention throughout the day
Not only will the small number of participants allow you to practice often during the day, you will also have personal access to the trainer to discuss your personal issues before the course, during all the breaks and after the course. Perhaps you have a background that is unusual or a particular feature of your past training that you want to discuss in more depth. We will give you all the time you need!

A unique blend of medical and communication
Our courses are put together by both doctors and communication specialists. This gives us a unique ability to look at the interview process from the medical and the communication angles, which you will find in no other courses. Because we also coach hundreds of doctors on a one-to-one basis from all specialities at all grades, we also have extensive knowledge of the questions asked of candidates.

Free email follow-up
After the course, once back home preparing for your medical interview, you will inevitably have questions or come across issues which will bother you. We will be there to answer your queries and support you in the final stages of your preparation. This is what makes our service unique and personal.