Core Surgery Interview

CST Interview

Of the various fields in medicine, surgery is among those that have the most stringent selection processes, starting with the core surgery interview through which all aspiring surgeons must be able to pass.

And with thousands of applicants taking the interview each year, but only several hundred making the cut, applicants need to pour in their time, effort, and resources for their preparation for this initial step to becoming a surgeon.

However, it can be quite difficult to know exactly where to start and how to prepare for the interview without ample guidance and expert help from professionals in the field.

So to get you started with your preparation, listed below are some essential tips for a successful core surgery interview.

Ask others about their experience

You can try asking those who have experienced undergoing the CST interview in the past. Ask them the most common questions and the hardest one to answer. You may also expose yourself to an ever-expanding list of interview questions, through reading the medical press, practising questions, and the like. Regularly searching for ways to become better at answering questions is going to be worth it. So if you find an efficient CST online course, don’t hesitate to grab it!

Know the job

For many medical jobs (especially academic foundation/specialty training posts) there are clear person specifications and requirements matrices available online. Therefore, it is reasonable to anticipate questions alongside the characteristics employers’ desire. For example, if they want people who are future leaders, a reasonable question would be “tell us what makes you a good leader?”

There are many ways to find out about a post such as checking the organisation’s website, speaking to the regional adviser in the specialty where possible, obtaining and reading carefully the job description, person specification, and all other data that may be sent to you. Make sure to do this comprehensive research along with your consistent practice in answering questions using a CST online course, and you will start to see which parts of your past are particularly relevant to the post and how you can specifically contribute to the department.

Know yourself

A surgeon must become an effective team member as he works with other professional doctors and nurses in the operating room. During the medical interview, you will be asked questions about leadership and being a team player. To answer this question, you need to know yourself well— your personality, strengths and weaknesses, values, motivations, experience, career aims, and skills – all of which will be highlighted through the course of your preparation using a CST online course. People who do not have insight into these features have a tendency to answer questions in an arrogant manner, or grossly undersell themselves.

Keep a good portfolio

You can register for a core surgery interview course to build your portfolio. This part is often under-appreciated by applicants as they tend to focus more in bulking up their knowledge but not so much their documents and credentials on paper. Most interviews beyond medical foundation applications will require you to bring a portfolio of your achievements to the interview. What to include and how to structure this is often provided on the organisation’s website

Prepare your portfolio as early as you can. As you write a list of your achievements, you will inevitably come across accomplishments for which you have no physical proof. Allowing yourself time to obtain/find certificates will save a lot of stress before the interview9.

Interviewers may look at your portfolio before the interview, but you will also often have your folder in front of you in a portfolio station of the interview. As a result, keeping an organised portfolio and being able to flick quickly to the relevant page presents a good image to the interviewer. Many interviews also have a significant portion of marks available for how organised and aesthetic your portfolio is. Keeping it succinct and intuitively laid out, therefore, scores you points both directly and indirectly. Buying a professional folder with coloured coded dividers is a good investment

Practice

This is of course crucial. Aside from increasing your knowledge base through the content and resources provided by a core surgery interview course, you must also put in the time to develop your skills, and interviewing is no different. Start by reciting answers to common questions. Move on to having others practice with you and perform mock interviews.

Finally, one resource that is very helpful is your university’s career centre (or analogous service). These centres generally offer mock interviews which can be scheduled. Do this. You will not regret it. Treat it like a formal interview. It will help come interview day to have gone through the motions and practiced interviewing with a stranger who is experienced with the process.

If possible, be sure to practice mock interviews with real doctors who have already conducted hundreds of medical school and residency interviews – it’s as real as it gets.

By taking note of all the tips and important considerations mentioned above, you can become more confident when taking your core surgery interview. Your intensive preparation coupled with a positive mind set and commitment to succeed will help you achieve your goal of getting accepted for the surgical training post. As you become more familiar with the new role that you will be training for, your confidence as a medical practitioner also increases. But before you execute everything you’ve learned and been training for, you should also take good care of your physical and mental health to ensure the best results on your interview. Good luck!

Tips For A Successful Core Surgery Interview