Ace Your NHS Consultant Interview

Tessa Davis + Becky Platt
  • 0.0 (0)
  • How To

Welcome to Ace Your NHS Consultant Interview - the podcast for doctors who want to take the stress and guesswork out of their NHS consultant interview prep. We know how overwhelming it can feel to prep for your consultant interviews when you’re already stretched thin. Each episode, we’ll break down what actually works - no fluff, no endless reading, just practical steps you can fit into a hectic week. You’ll hear honest advice, real stories, and the frameworks we use with our own students inside the Academy to help you show up confident, prepped, and ready to secure the job you want. If you’re a final year trainee or locum consultant and you want to prepare, not panic, you’re in the right place.

  1. 4d ago

    Print Your Slides, Tech Fails More Than You Think

    Starting to think about your NHS Consultant Interview Prep? Join the waitlist for my Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy. I’ll let you know as soon as the Academy doors open  https://medicalinterviewprep.com/waitlist?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=transistor&utm_content=t-ep58 Tech failure when you go to do your presentation is more common than you'd think, so be prepared. Tessa and Becky talk through exactly how to make the most of just a few weeks, for anyone who feels like they've started prepping too late, and share a real story of a candidate who turned three weeks of panic into a job offer. We also break down a conflict example involving a declined referral between specialities, and explain why being clinically right is almost never the point, over-explaining the medicine just distracts from showing you can actually resolve a disagreement. From there we tackle a genuinely interesting interview question on the NHS and environmental sustainability, and where to actually look if you've got nothing to say about it yet. Finally, our tip of the week could save your entire presentation: always have a printed backup of your slides and notes, because when the tech goes down (and it will), staying calm can work in your favour more than the slides themselves ever would. Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com/?utm_source=YTPod&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=1

  2. Sep 14

    What to Do If You Get Offered Your Backup Job First

    Starting to think about your NHS Consultant Interview Prep? Join the waitlist for my Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy. I’ll let you know as soon as the Academy doors open  https://medicalinterviewprep.com/waitlist?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=transistor&utm_content=t-ep57 Interviews are like buses, you wait ages and then several come at once. Tessa and Becky tackle a genuinely tricky situation: what do you do if you get offered a job you'd take, while you're still waiting to hear about the one you actually want? We talk through the honesty balance, when to mention a second interview and when to hold off, so you don't burn a bridge in a small speciality where everyone remembers who let them down. We also review a mistake example involving a missed lab result and a wrong contact number, and dig into why the most important test for any mistake story is whether it was really your mistake to own. From there we look at a lovely, low-stakes interview question, "how do you balance the demands of clinical practise with your personal well-being", and why this is actually one of the easier ones to get right. Finally, our tip of the week: get someone to fire random questions at you with zero prep time, because that's a lot closer to the real thing than rehearsing an answer you already know is coming. Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com/?utm_source=YTPod&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=1

  3. Sep 7

    Where to Actually Find the KPIs for Your Speciality

    Starting to think about your NHS Consultant Interview Prep? Join the waitlist for my Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy. I’ll let you know as soon as the Academy doors open  https://medicalinterviewprep.com/waitlist?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=transistor&utm_content=t-ep56 Knowing the KPIs for your speciality is key. It's easy to bury your head in the sand, but this won't help you on the day. Tessa and Becky break down exactly where to find them, from national and college guidance to the everyday metrics you're already working towards without realising it, and why picking three you can speak to personally makes all the difference. We also review a golden example around a conflict over suturing a wound in a busy resus department, and unpack why a power imbalance between you and a junior colleague makes for a much riskier conflict story than one between equals. From there we tackle a question that panics a lot of candidates: how do you talk about financial sustainability when you don't know any actual numbers? We explain why thinking in terms of flow and efficiency gets you further than any budget line ever could. Finally, our tip of the week is about controlling what you can control, especially when panic sets in over who else is applying for your job. Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com/?utm_source=YTPod&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=1

  4. Aug 31

    How to Sell Yourself Without Sounding Arrogant

    Starting to think about your NHS Consultant Interview Prep? Join the waitlist for my Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy. I’ll let you know as soon as the Academy doors open  https://medicalinterviewprep.com/waitlist?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=transistor&utm_content=t-ep55 Selling yourself doesn't have to sound braggy, but you do need to know why you're the best person for the job. Tessa and Becky tackle the fear almost every candidate has: how do you talk about your own strengths without sounding arrogant? The answer is simpler than it feels, swap subjective, persuasive language for specific, factual evidence, and we explain exactly why that shift makes all the difference. We also break down a golden example about a missed two week cancer pathway referral, and discuss why closing the loop on what happened afterwards matters just as much as owning the mistake itself. From there we look at a great future-facing interview question, "how do you see our speciality evolving over the next five years", and how to answer it in a way that shows you as part of that future rather than just someone who's read about it. Finally, our tip of the week: visualisation. We talk through how picturing yourself walking into the room and nailing that first answer can genuinely calm your nerves and change how your interview starts. Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com/?utm_source=YTPod&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=1

  5. Aug 24

    How to Talk About Conflict Without Badmouthing Anyone

    Starting to think about your NHS Consultant Interview Prep? Join the waitlist for my Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy. I’ll let you know as soon as the Academy doors open  https://medicalinterviewprep.com/waitlist?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=transistor&utm_content=t-ep54 You don't need a villain in your conflict with a colleague example. This is about a disagreement that could have happened to anyone on any day. Tessa and Becky tackle a really common worry: how do you talk about a conflict without sounding like you're badmouthing someone? The answer isn't to prove you were right, it's to show you can de-escalate, and we explain exactly why calling in your boss to fight your battle for you is one of the biggest traps candidates fall into. We also break down a golden example centred on a rota dispute that dragged on for weeks and eventually escalated to HR, and use it to unpack several red flags at once: an ongoing feud rather than a one-off moment, a conflict within your own team rather than another one, and a story where you come across as the one who was annoyed rather than the one being asked to fix things. From there we look at a trickier interview question, "how would you handle a disagreement between two members of your team", including why an oddly specific question late in an interview can sometimes hint at something going on behind the scenes. Finally, our tip of the week covers reasonable adjustments: what they actually look like in practice, from written questions to extra time, and why asking for something that will genuinely help you perform your best is never going to count against you. Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you ​a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview​: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com/?utm_source=YTPod&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=1

  6. Aug 17

    Why Your Complaint Answer Might Be Throwing You Under the Bus

    Starting to think about your NHS Consultant Interview Prep? Join the waitlist for my Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy. I’ll let you know as soon as the Academy doors open  https://medicalinterviewprep.com/waitlist?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=transistor&utm_content=t-ep53 The best mistake examples are the things that could have happened to anyone. If you're talking about a crisis, you've picked the wrong thing. Tessa and Becky tackle a question that trips up a lot of candidates: what if your mistake example doesn't feel serious enough? The answer might surprise you, because too serious is actually the bigger risk, and we explain exactly how to spot when an example belongs in what we call the "how the hell did that happen" bin. We also break down a golden example about a missed lipid profile that led to a delayed blood test, and use it to show the fine line between a mistake that's too minor to demonstrate any real impact and one that's too big to be relatable. From there we look at a great interview question, "how would you handle receiving a verbal complaint from a patient or relative", and why so many candidates accidentally answer a completely different question by assuming it's about a complaint against them personally. Finally, our tip of the week: find yourself a prep partner. We share a genuinely lovely real example (hint: it involves someone's mum, a phone camera, and a very disapproving eyebrow raise) of why having someone to keep you accountable, even if they know nothing about consultant interviews, can make all the difference to how consistently you actually practise. Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you ​a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview​: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com/?utm_source=YTPod&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=1

  7. Aug 10

    Ditch the Resus Story, Use This MDT Example Instead

    Starting to think about your NHS Consultant Interview Prep? Join the waitlist for my Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy. I’ll let you know as soon as the Academy doors open  https://medicalinterviewprep.com/waitlist?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=transistor&utm_content=t-ep52 One of the best MDT working examples doesn't come from a dramatic resus call, it comes from a project. Tessa and Becky break down exactly how much clinical detail candidates actually need in an MDT answer versus how much they think they need, and why picking a project over a clinical scenario almost always makes for a stronger, more senior-sounding answer. We also review a golden example built around a reporting audit that turned into a department-wide fix, and unpack the most common trap candidates fall into: telling the story chronologically instead of pulling out clear themes of how the team actually worked well together. From there we look at a real interview question, "how do you build and maintain relationships with your primary care colleagues", and why this kind of relationship-building question is exactly the moment to showcase senior-level thinking. Finally, our tip of the week tackles something almost every candidate goes through: a setback in the run-up to interview, whether it's a previous rejection, an awkward informal visit, or finding out who else has applied. We talk through why the candidates who keep showing up for their prep, even just five minutes at a time, are consistently the ones who walk in feeling the most confident, and how to stop yourself from spiralling before that even happens. Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you ​a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview​: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com/?utm_source=YTPod&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=1

  8. Aug 3

    What to Say When You Don't Understand the Panel's Question

    Starting to think about your NHS Consultant Interview Prep? Join the waitlist for my Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy. I’ll let you know as soon as the Academy doors open  https://medicalinterviewprep.com/waitlist?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=transistor&utm_content=t-ep51 The biggest mistake candidates make with patient conflict examples is treating it like a complaint story rather than a relationship story. Tessa and Becky tackle a question every nervous candidate worries about: what do you actually say if you don't understand or don't hear the panel's question? We explain exactly how to ask for clarification without it costing you points, and why guessing and rambling through a four minute answer on the wrong topic is far riskier than just asking. We also review a golden example involving a mum who became visibly upset during a consultation, and explain why the instinct to frame this as a conflict misses what actually makes it work. From there we dig into a hypothetical interview question, "how would you handle a situation where a patient's family disagrees with the treatment plan you're recommending", and the key difference between answering a hypothetical well versus accidentally turning it into a single specific story. Finally, our tip of the week: how to flex your five golden examples so you're never caught out by an unexpected version of "tell me about a time when". We break down a tricky real example, being asked about a time you underestimated the emotional impact of something you said, and show exactly how experienced candidates adapt an example they've already prepared rather than panicking and searching for a brand new one. Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you ​a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview​: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com/?utm_source=YTPod&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=1

See All (58)

About

Welcome to Ace Your NHS Consultant Interview - the podcast for doctors who want to take the stress and guesswork out of their NHS consultant interview prep. We know how overwhelming it can feel to prep for your consultant interviews when you’re already stretched thin. Each episode, we’ll break down what actually works - no fluff, no endless reading, just practical steps you can fit into a hectic week. You’ll hear honest advice, real stories, and the frameworks we use with our own students inside the Academy to help you show up confident, prepped, and ready to secure the job you want. If you’re a final year trainee or locum consultant and you want to prepare, not panic, you’re in the right place.

Information

You Might Also Like