The best examples of working in a multidisciplinary team don’t come from a purely clinical case. They come from showing an appreciation of the MDT within the wider system. Tessa and Becky start with a question from an Academy student: what should you expect if your interview begins with an informal panel of service users? We explain why it’s a golden chance to show who you really are, how to treat it as a conversation rather than a performance, and why not knowing what’s coming is the same for every candidate.
We also break down a strong MDT example built around a swarm review after a lipid overdose on a neonatal unit, and why structuring your answer around the themes of why the team worked well beats telling it chronologically. From there we tackle a question that’s coming up more and more, “how does PSIRF improve patient care?”, and a simple trick for understanding it if you’ve never been involved: sit in on your local PSIRF meeting.
Finally, our tip of the week is about clinical scenarios. Consultant panels aren’t testing whether you can manage something on the shop floor, so “level it up” and think about the team, the system and the bigger picture. As one very experienced interviewer puts it, answer from the balcony, not the dance floor.
What is Ace Your 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.