Start early
Preparing for the core surgical interview can be nerve-wracking, but it is achievable with the right amount of practice. The earlier you start practising interview questions the better — it is crucial to begin early to build your portfolio and practise the relevant clinical and leadership scenarios.
Build your portfolio (FY1 → FY2)
During FY1, maximise your portfolio by setting realistic goals. Aim to achieve as many of the following as possible:
- Two surgical courses or more
- MRCS Part A
- Designing, leading, and implementing a surgically-themed QI project
- One oral or poster presentation
- Organising a teaching programme
- Building up your surgical logbook
- Becoming a member of the RCS
During FY2, focus on your physical portfolio — collecting evidence from teaching, courses and clinical activities — and start several months before the interviews.
Understand the stations
Core surgical training is one of the most popular specialties, with over 1,200 applicants for just over 600 jobs each year. The interview covers three stations, each lasting around 10 minutes with two interviewers per station and 3-minute breaks in between. The best way to ensure success is to practise as many questions as possible and to understand each station in detail: the Portfolio Station, the Clinical Scenario Station and the Leadership & Management Station.
What to expect on the day
The Portfolio Station is based entirely on your portfolio with no set questions. In the Clinical Station you are given two scenarios (generally post-operative and emergency): you read a short scenario before entering and answer the interviewers' questions, followed by an unprepared scenario. The Leadership & Management Station includes a 3-minute presentation on a 'seen' topic followed by questioning, then an 'unseen' leadership and management scenario.
The best preparation is to practise conveying your messages fluently — write down examples for each situation and describe them clearly.
How we can help
Our online preparation is used by 1 in 2 core surgical training candidates every year, and our resources were used by 8 of the highest scoring candidates last year. We provide the largest online Core Surgery Interview Question Bank with over 350 unique questions covering the portfolio, clinical and management stations — each accompanied by comprehensive, evidence-based explanations — plus an advanced question tracker, videos covering each station, and over 3,000 MSRA questions included.