Preparing for Applications and Interviews
Opportunities during training
Deanery Courses: The Learner Support and Faculty Development (LSFD) Team provide a number of courses to help prepare trainees for independent practice applications and interviews including courses like “Securing Your First Consultant Post”. Please click here to see and book onto upcoming courses.
Acting Up: This refers to specialty doctors in training who wish to spend some time towards the end of their training developing and enhancing their skills in areas such as leadership and management in preparation for moving into a consultant role, post CCT. The NHSE ENE policy on Acting Up into a consultant role while training can be found here.
Extended Learning Opportunities: This is an annual offering from the deanery to provide funded places for Doctors and Dentists in Training on a range of educational programmes including opportunities for Flexible Portfolio Training. This offer is usually sent out in the spring and more information can be found here.
Applying for Consultant/GP posts
Royal College specialty application guides: Some of the Royal Colleges have produced guides for applying for consultant posts in that specialty. Many of these guides contain useful information and advice for all trainees regardless of specialty:
Guide to Writing an Effective Application: Health Education England have produced a guide for writing effective applications, although this guide is aimed at applying for specialty training posts, much of the information and advice is relevant to applications for independent roles such as Consultants and GPs. This guide can here be found here.
Writing your medical CV: The BMA have written a useful guide on writing your medical CV which is an important part of applications to independent practice roles. This guide, and other advice on careers from the BMA, can be found here.
GP Career Options: The RCGP has an online resource for career options for GPs which includes some information about applying for different kinds of GP roles, this guide can be found here.
Interview skills and preparation
BMJ articles: The BMJ have written several articles about NHS consultant and GP interviews including Succeeding at Interview and Great answers to tricky consultant interview questions. They have also created a Reading List for Consultant, GP and SAS interview which can be found here.
NHS Careers Consultant Interview Video: The NHS Careers website has created a useful video of a simulated NHS consultant interview with best practice advice from several experienced interviewers. This video can be found here.
Other Deanery Resources: Deanery offices will often provide career advice or support. For example, the NHSE Education London deanery have produced online career-planning resources including video and guides for applying and interviewing for consultant roles. This website can be found here.