What should you wear to your consultant interview? Tessa and Becky tackle the question they get asked all the time, and the answer isn't as strict as you'd think. Smart, interview-appropriate, and free of anything that distracts the panel (jangly bracelets and novelty ties included) matters far more than looking corporate, and you should still feel like yourself in the room.
We also break down a mistake example involving a CT head scan requested on the wrong patient, and explain why this one is too significant to use as a mistake story, and why it's actually a strong duty of candour example instead. From there we tackle a genuinely tricky interview question, "tell me about a time you underestimated the emotional impact of something you said or did on a colleague", and why the best answers flip it into something positive rather than throwing yourself under the bus.
Finally, our tip of the week: practise questions in a run, not just one at a time. A real interview is 40 minutes long, and the tiredness that sets in by question seven is something you need to feel in practice, not for the first time on the day.
What is Ace Your NHS Consultant Interview?
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.