Commitment to Speciality
Portfolio Questions
Tell me about your CV?
This is a difficult question to summarise well in the interview. Your answer will be one of the longer answers in the interview if asked this but should not be longer than 2 minutes. Try to highlight your key achievements within your CV and how this will make you a good surgical trainee. Utilise the CAMP framework as outlined in the tips for success section. Below are some examples of aspects of your CV you could highlight and potential skills learnt
Clinical
Previous surgical Experience
Prior surgical Posts
JCF posts
Trauma centre experiences
Skills learnt: develop surgical knowledge + management of on call patients
Courses
Practical skills courses attended
ASIT courses or RCS basic surgical skills etc.
CcRISP course
Skills learnt: improved technical skills and management of surgical emergencies
Academic
Publications
Involvement in collaborative projects
Research courses
Oral Presentations
Poster Presentations
Surgical Audits / QIPs
Skills learnt: understand basic research principles + methodology + good team working & leadership skills to get projects completed
Management / Teaching
Teaching
Teaching courses
Mentoring of juniors
Bedside teaching
OSCE teaching
Skills learnt: Teaching & communications skills
Management
Leadership positions
Management courses
Rota co-ordinator
Skills learnt: Organisation, team working and people management skills
Personal
Charity work
Sports and exercise
Team working (via 360 degree feedback / MSF)
Skills learnt: show your an all rounded individual with work-life balance
What is your biggest strength / unique selling point?
For this pick a key area of your CV you are most proud of. One good interview tactic is to state how you initially identified something as a weakness, worked hard on it and now turned it into a positive. Again the key is to link this to how this makes you a better trainee and would perform well on a competitive surgical training programme.
Example Answer
"During my foundation years I recognised that the research aspect of my portfolio was considerably lacking compared to all my other achievements. I identified this as an area I wished to improve upon and undertook a research methodology course and a research based junior clinical fellowship post. I worked hard with mentors on projects and am now incredibly proud to have 2 first named publications and to have presented these internationally.
I now have a grasp on basic research principles and methodology. And i'm incredibly proud in the way I was able to identify a weakness and work on self-improvement whilst showing good team working skills to get projects completed. As a result I think these skills will be invaluable if I obtain an CST number"
Why are you applying to core surgical training?
Again this question can be broken down via the CAMP structure to think about what made you want to become a surgeon. Try to utilise a point from each section to structure your answer. The good candidates will seem incredibly passionate as if they were born to become a surgeon and this question is one were you should really highlight your enthusiasm for the speciality.
Clinical
Practical Aspect
Enjoy practical aspect of surgery
Learning techniques from seniors
Constantly improving and bettering own skills - constantly competing against myself to get better
Impact on patients QoL
Enjoy that interventions can rapidly and dramatically improve quality of life for patients
Academic
Evidenced based approach
Strong research component
Ability to continue research projects throughout training
Innovation & new technologies
Makes field exciting
Management
Opportunity for teaching
As you advance in years have opportunity to teach those below you
Teaching aspect very rewarding
Apprentice style model - pass on learning to junior colleagues
Team working
Working with others and contributing to a team
Being involved in decision making process
Collaborating with other specialities
Leadership
Opportunity to display leadership skills
Both in and out of theatre
Personal
Combination of high-pressure, practical job alongside the ability to work as part of a team
What are your short and long term goals?
Short Term Goals
Obtaining SpR number
Working on WBAs and engaging with ISCP early
Hitting indicative numbers
Improve technical skills
Build confidence in making decision on call
Long Term Goals
Research involvement
Leadership position
Masters / Higher education degrees
Advance teaching and management skills
Develop teaching programmes to pass on knowledge to juniors
Sub-specialisation (e.g. urology or plastic surgery)
Personal goals
Marriage / house / wife / dog etc.
Sporting goals (e.g. marathan)
Charity involvement
Note | In this setting the best answers have a few realistic short and long term goals that include soft skills such as teamworking and decision making. But combine this with personal goals and what you wish to achieve outside of medicine.
Tell me about a case you managed recently?
In this question think of a case that allows you to demonstrate patient management, decision making and escalation. Use it to show that you are a safe and reliable trainee. It is a good opportunity to show you are engaged with the learning process and ISCP. Say how you reflected on the case and performed a CBD to maximise your learning. The STAR framework is perfect for this question to produce a structured answer.
Example Answer
Situtation
“During a recent on-call, I reviewed a 62-year-old man who presented to A&E with severe left-sided flank pain, fevers, and rigors. He had a background of recurrent renal stones. On assessment, he appeared unwell with tachycardia and a temperature of 39°C, and his pain was radiating from the loin to the groin. Urine dip showed blood and leukocytes. I was concerned about an infected obstructed urinary system, likely secondary to a ureteric stone.”
Task
“My priority was to rapidly assess and stabilise the patient, identify sepsis, and ensure urgent escalation, as I recognised this as a urological emergency requiring source control.”
Action
“I performed an A–E assessment and identified features of sepsis. I initiated the Sepsis Six and organised urgent blood tests, which showed raised inflammatory markers and acute kidney injury. I then arranged an urgent CT KUB, which confirmed a proximal ureteric stone with hydronephrosis
Recognising the risk of rapid deterioration, I escalated early to my registrar and consultant, and discussed the need for urgent decompression. I also liaised with radiology and theatre teams to facilitate timely intervention.”
Response
"“The patient was taken urgently for ureteric stent insertion, which successfully relieved the obstruction. Post-operatively, he improved clinically with resolution of sepsis and was stepped down from high-dependency care after 24 hours. I completed a CBD with discussion with on-call consultant afterwards to further my learning for future cases.
What will be your biggest challenge as an core surgical trainee starting out?
The key to answering this question is to choose a challenge and state your action plan for how you are going to manage this as a core surgical trainee. This shows your ability to recognise a potential complication and plan a management strategy in advance.
Workload and Time Management
Surgical training can be demanding, with long working hours and a high patient volume.
Balancing clinical responsibilities, paperwork, research, and personal life can be challenging.
Management strategies
Create a structured schedule and prioritize tasks
Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable segments.
Utilize time management tools such as calendars, to-do lists, and digital apps
Delegate tasks when appropriate and collaborate with colleagues to share the workload.
Steep Learning Curve
Surgery is a complex field with a vast array of conditions, surgical procedures, and techniques..
Starting out, you will face a steep learning curve as you acquire knowledge and develop clinical skills.
Management strategies
Actively engage in continuous education and attend conferences, workshops, and seminars to enhance your knowledge and skills.
Seek mentorship from experienced surgeons
Establish a study routine
Dedicate regular time for self-directed learning.
Decision-Making and Responsibility
Increased level of decision-making and responsibility
The ability to make sound clinical judgments, interpret investigations, and choose appropriate treatment plans will develop over time.
Management Strategies
Develop a systematic approach to clinical decision-making
Staying updated with evidence-based guidelines
Reflect on your decision-making process and learn from your experiences, both positive and challenging.
Participate in MDT meetings
Surgical Skills Development
Dexterity required for various procedures.
CST will involve a significant amount of surgical procedures in numerous specialities
Acquiring and refining surgical skills is a critical aspect of your training.
Management Strategies
Actively participate in surgical cases and seek opportunities to assist and observe senior surgeons.
Attend surgical skills workshops and courses to enhance your technical abilities.
Practice surgical techniques on simulators and models to improve your dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
Seek feedback from senior surgeons and actively incorporate their suggestions for improvement.
What is your biggest weakness?
This is one of the difficult questions to answer well. Firstly do NOT say you are a "perfectionist". You need to pick a weakness and use it to your advantage, talk about how you are working on improving this weakness, aware of it and have an action plan for the future. At the same time do not pick something that makes you look like an unsafe practitioner.
Examples of potential weaknesses
Balancing Competing Prioritises
Difficult to manage work-life balance as surgical trainee
Juggling audit / research / operations with personal commitments
Action plan: organisational and time management skills, task lists, productivity tools
Adapting to new techniques / keeping up to date
Keeping up to date with new techniques / tools
Staying up to date with literature
Goes with above. Little time for reading through whole journals with other activities
Action plan: Attending surgical courses, attend conferences, read review summaries in journals
Team working under pressure
Surgery has challenging scenarios under high pressure
Important to maintain team working whilst concentrating on task at hand
Can be difficult in early surgical training
Action plan: MDT involvement, MSF / 360 feedback, reflective practice, communication skills courses
Emotional Resilience
Being over critical of performance is something that numerous trainees experience
At same time increased levels of responsibility can lead to more emotional involvement in cases if they go wrong
Important to recognise this impact
Ensure work on personal well-being
Action plan: self-care routine, keeping up with exercise, mentoring from seniors, reflective practice
What will you do if you don't get an CST number?
Key point is to outline that your are aware of weaknesses and committed to surgery. Show that you have thought about potentially not got getting a number, what you would do in this circumstance and show your commitment and resilience by saying you would come back stronger neck year.
Key steps
Get feedback sheet from interview
Identify key areas of weakness for next years interview
Improve portfolio
Attempt to gain extra points
Higher Degree / Teaching qualification (PG CERT)
Masters Degree
More publications / research involvement
Research fellow / Locum jobs
In local area
To attempt to further improve surgical clinical skills and knowledge
Improve decision making and competence ahead of CST number
What are your interests outside of medicine?
The are a vast array of things that you could say here. Most importantly be honest and have something you can speak passionately about. Then to conclude your answer thing about how this positively influences your work as a surgical trainee, how it is beneficial to your well being and how you will continue this during training.
Examples:
Exercise & Sports
"Outside of work, I enjoy practicing yoga and participating in local basketball leagues. Engaging in physical activities helps me maintain a healthy work-life balance and enhances my focus and endurance."
Volunteering work
"In my free time, I volunteer at a local community health clinic, where I provide medical assistance to underserved populations. It's fulfilling to give back to the community and broaden my understanding of healthcare challenges beyond the clinical setting."
Creative pursuits (e.g. painting / photography)
"I have a passion for photography and enjoy capturing moments that convey emotions and tell stories. This creative outlet helps me maintain a balanced perspective and brings a fresh perspective to my work in the hospital."
Travel
"I love traveling and immersing myself in different cultures. Exploring new destinations allows me to broaden my horizons, appreciate diversity, and adapt to unfamiliar situations—a quality that I believe is valuable in the ever-changing field of surgery."
When were you last stressed / put under pressure?
Here it is important to think of a personal example. Use the STAR framework to structure your answer. Show that you were able to manage the stress outlining your management strategies. Then apply this to how you plan to cope with stress during your training.
Example Answer
Situation
"Due to COVID the run up to MRCS Part A had been delayed and I had struggled balancing in catching up on operative experience whilst revising at the same time. I neglected personal well being and doing my normal exercise regime which led to be being over stressed as a result.
Task
"I reflected on this prior to the interview and thought about management strategies to improve when revising this time around"
Action
" I developed my time management and organisational skills. On sunday evening i would plan meals and times in week to exercise. Including evenings which I’ll work and evening which I’ll relax. I kept up with exercise routine and utilised WBAs to maximise my learning at work."
Response
"As a result I become a lot more focused and efficient at work as a result. Focusing on ISCP requirements during working hours led to more time to revise at home. This strategy I will take forwards to exceed in my training as an CST"