- Stages
- 4
- Typical timeline
- 4 to 12 weeks
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Format
- Application, portfolio review, structured interview stations
Interviews for junior doctor posts, such as clinical fellow jobs and specialty training, combine clinical scenarios, ethics and professionalism, and questions about your portfolio and motivation. Specialty training interviews often use structured stations scored against national criteria. Expect to prioritise unwell patients, handle ethical dilemmas such as consent and confidentiality, discuss audit and teaching, and reflect on a mistake. Panels look for safe clinical reasoning, clear escalation, good communication, reference to GMC guidance and genuine reflection.
The interview process, stage by stage
- ApplicationApplication form and portfolio evidence.
- Portfolio stationDiscuss achievements, audit, teaching and research.
- Clinical stationPrioritisation and management of clinical scenarios.
- Ethics and communication stationEthical dilemmas, professionalism and communication.
How you're scored
Safe assessment, prioritisation and escalation.
Applies GMC guidance and ethical principles.
Clear, empathetic communication.
Evidence of interest in the specialty.
Likely Junior Doctor interview questions
You're called to three unwell patients at once. How do you prioritise?
A strong answer includes: Triage by severity using available information, see the sickest first, delegate, escalate to seniors and keep communication clear.
A patient refuses a blood transfusion. What do you do?
A strong answer includes: Assess capacity, explore reasons and alternatives, respect a capacitous refusal, involve seniors and document.
Tell me about a clinical mistake and what you learned.
A strong answer includes: Honest account, duty of candour, how you reported it, the learning and changes to your practice.
Every question for this interview, with what strong answers include. Free with an account for the first few; all of them with Pro.
Common mistakes
- Trying to manage beyond your competence instead of escalating
- Ignoring GMC guidance in ethics answers
- Reflections with no learning
- Portfolio claims you can't discuss in depth
Questions to ask them
- What does supervision and teaching look like?
- How are rotas organised?
- What opportunities are there for audit and research?
- How is wellbeing supported?
Candidate experiences
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Share your interviewFrequently asked questions
What is asked in a junior doctor interview?
Clinical prioritisation scenarios, managing an unwell patient, ethical dilemmas involving consent, capacity and confidentiality, a mistake and what you learned, teamwork, audit and teaching, and why this specialty or post.
How do I answer clinical prioritisation questions?
Identify the sickest patient first using a structured approach, explain your reasoning, delegate appropriately, escalate to seniors early and say how you'd document and follow up.
How do I answer ethics questions in medical interviews?
Gather the facts, consider the patient's best interests, autonomy and capacity, refer to GMC guidance and the law, involve seniors and colleagues, and communicate openly.
How should I discuss an audit in an interview?
Explain the standard, your method, results, changes you recommended and whether you re-audited to close the loop. Be clear about your personal role.
