Table Of ContentContents
Title Page i
Publisher Information ii
About The Author iii
Foreword iv
Preface vi
Acknowledgements viii
Acronyms and Abbreviations ix
Chapter 1 1
Chapter 2 3
Chapter 3 6
Chapter 4 8
Chapter 5 10
Chapter 6 13
Chapter 7 16
Chapter 8 19
Chapter 9 23
Chapter 10 31
Chapter 11 36
Chapter 12 38
Chapter 13 49
Chapter 14 60
Chapter 15 76
Chapter 16 105
Chapter 17 115
Chapter 18 125
Chapter 19 131
Chapter 20 138
Chapter 21 152
Chapter 22 156
Chapter 23 159
Chapter 24 167
Chapter 25 178
Chapter 26 182
Chapter 27 194
Chapter 28 202
Chapter 29 210
Chapter 30 212
Also Available 215
Succeeding in your Consultant
Medical Interview
Robert Ghosh
Foreword by:
Peter Livesley
MMed Sci (ClinEd), MCh Orth, FRCS Orth,
Special lecturer Nottingham University,
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon (Emeritus),
Former Associate Medical Director (Education),
Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust
Published by Developmedica
Castle Court
Duke Street
New Basford
Nottingham, NG7 7JN
0845 8380571
www.developmedica.com
© 2009 Developmedica
Digital Edition converted and published by
Andrews UK limited 2010
www.andrewsuk.com
All rights reserved. Purchasers of this book are prohibited from redistributing
this book or any part thereof. This book cannot be reproduced in full or in part
without the express written consent of Developmedica.
Developmedica recommend that you consult the bodies responsible for
information relating to guidance on your interview. The views expressed in this
book are those of Developmedica and not those of the institutions the reader
wishes to apply through.
The contents of this book are intended as a guide only and although every effort
has been made to ensure that the contents of this book are correct, Developmedica
cannot be held responsible for the outcome of any loss or damage that arises
through the use of this guide. Readers are advised to seek independent advice
regarding their application consulting the institution the reader intends to apply
to.
Every effort has been made to contact the copyright holders of any material
reproduced within this publication. If any have been inadvertently overlooked,
the publishers will be pleased to make restitution at the earliest opportunity.
A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
About the Author
Robert Ghosh
Robert Ghosh is a Consultant Physician at the Homerton
University Hospital, London. He is the Director of Intensive
Care, Clinical Lead for Acute Care and Trust Lead for Clinical
Audit. He graduated from Edinburgh University, and his
research interests include the neuromuscular assessment of
critically ill patients and prognostication in hypoxic brain
injury. He has significant experience in interviewing for Con-
sultant posts; he regularly provides guidance for prospective
interviewees, and continues to deliver courses on Consultant
Interviews on behalf of Developmedica.
A note from the publishers
Developmedica are committed to publishing high quality
books and would love to hear your thoughts on how this
book helped you, or your suggestions on any new topics we
should be pursuing to support individuals in progressing
their careers. Simply email your views and ideas to
[email protected].
Better still, if you submit a testimonial to the website that you
purchased this book from, and email us with a link to the testi-
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xi
Foreword
If you are reading this book the chances are that you are about
to make the most important decision of your professional
career i.e. Where shall I work for the next 30 years? Your deci
sion is pivotal in so much that you will spend a significant
amount of your lifetime with your colleagues; even more so
than your with your partner and family. Your decision must
also reflect the investment you have made in yourself over the
course of your professional career. The Consultant interview
may appear as a mountain, difficult and insurmountable. In
reality the mountain is a mole hill and the most difficult ques
tion you must ask yourself is ‘Is this the correct job for me and
do the people around the panel represent the people with
whom I wish to spend the next 30 years?’
The Consultant interview does require preparation and as a
fully trained professional you will be used to preparing for
challenging events. In this book Robert Ghosh presents useful
and relevant information to aid you in your approach and
emphasises the need for preparation. The role of a Consultant
is much wider than the role of Registrar. As a trainee one is
often not aware of the full range of duties required of a Con
sultant. Your preparation must include ensuring that you are
educated in all the skills required and aware of the agenda of
the National Health Service in general. Preparation for the
interview itself requires knowledge of the Trust and of the
people involved. The day of the interview looms large but
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Foreword xiii
again with preparation the height of the hurdle can be
reduced. Think of the likely questions you may be asked and
consider your responses using the methods suggested in this
book. Only with practice can any skill be developed and
honed.
A Consultant is a medical practitioner but also a leader and
manager. The professional skills required of a Consultant are
continually refined and developed. The interview panel will be
aware of the stage you are at in your career and will ask you
how you see your career developing. In this book Robert
Ghosh has outlined many ways in which this may happen. The
panel will not expect you to be an expert in all areas but to
have an understanding of the problems faced by modern day
Consultants and which areas of your skill base you feel require
developing. Having read this book you will need to consider
the future development of your career and ensure that you
can articulate your learning needs and what contribution your
career plan will make to the Trust. Practice those answers,
sound like a professional!
Any book is a living entity within a constantly changing
world. I trust those of you who read this book and successfully
complete the interview process will feed back to us the points
that were useful and the points that need to be developed.
Good luck!
Peter Livesley, MMed Sci (ClinEd), MCh Orth, FRCS Orth
Preface
Although the application and interview processes for junior
doctors have often been in a state of rapid change, those for
Consultant posts have been more predictable and generally
remain true to historical values. The post remains exalted in
the eyes of medical and non-medical professionals alike. It is
therefore paramount that every single potential interviewee
gives the interview due respect and sees it as the gateway to
the pinnacle of a doctor’s career. Preparation should be
meticulous.
Although most doctors do invest considerable time, effort and
money in academic progression, it is probable that many do
not spend the equivalent or sufficient time preparing for that
all important Consultant interview. Most interviewees are eli
gible and skilled doctors who are well regarded by colleagues.
They generally have the ability to build excellent relationships
with patients. However, these attributes may not be apparent if
the performance during the interview is below standard
through lack of preparation.
In this book, a few recommendations are dedicated to prepar
ation prior to application, together with some advice on
researching and visiting prior to shortlisting. The main remit
however, is to help guide you, the prospective interviewee,
through the interview process itself. This includes advice with
regard to: formal visits; presentations; interview behaviour
traits; general principles for answers to commonly asked
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Preface xv
questions pertaining to factual knowledge, opinion and
scenarios.
Interviewers will inevitably take to candidates who possess the
capacity for self-reflection, and who can handle clinical and
non-clinical stressful situations. Moreover, as many on the
Panel will carry some of the Trust’s burdens and anxieties, they
will have an affinity for candidates who also have a sound
working knowledge of Primary Care Trusts, Foundation
Trusts, Government targets, complaints, risk, audit, research,
education, training, appraisal, job planning, validation, law
and ethics. Therefore a great portion of this book contains
summaries and questions related to these ‘hot topics’.
Some chapters (particularly those relating to technique) are
brief; on occasions they are not much more extensive than the
summary page! This is a deliberate effort to keep things simple
and reassure. The chapters relating to the hot topics are more
traditional in size.
Specific detailed advice for academic appointments, for
instance Senior Lecturer posts, is not within the remit of this
book.
Although this book is not absolutely comprehensive, the
information and guidance given here will hopefully go a long
way towards equipping the candidate with facts for prepar
ation and insight into behavioural skills. I hope that this will in
turn empower you to acquire the confidence to succeed.
Happy reading.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my father for teaching me to respect all
those around me, Alasdair Short for introducing me to the
highest clinical standards, John Coakley for showing me how
to relax and most of all, Naomi for giving me perspective.
Matt Green and Developmedica need a medal for their
patience and for making it all happen. Sarah Christie, an expert
(non-medical) performance coach, has worked very hard to
produce the chapter on ‘The difference that makes the
difference’.
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