Preparing for specialty recruitment

1. Preparing for specialty recruitment Jason Yarrow KSS Careers Department jyarrow@kssdeanery.ac.uk

2. Overview • Specialty Recruitment 2011 • Recap of 4 stage model • Making strong applications • Preparing for interviews & selection centres • Portfolio Interview • Presentation • Structured Interview • Mock GP Consultation • Simulation Station • Resources and key websites

3. Application overview & Timelines • Application window open Dec 3 – 20 (some variation) • Interviews from Jan 2011 • Perhaps an offers system – hold until know then accept 1 / automatically reject others • All offers out for Round 1 by 11th March • Can hold upto 25th March • All Round 1 recruitment National • Either by College or Deanery • BMJ Career Fair – London 1st / 2nd October: Podcast

5. O & G Paediatrics CMT Psychiatry RCoOG RCoPCH RCP RCoP Applications via RC websites:

6. Application via lead Deanery • East Midlands Public Health • KSS CST • London Clinical Radiology Histopathology • GP National Recruitment Of • West Midlands ACCS Anaesthesia • Yorks/Humber Neurosurgery

7. A 4 stage career planning model

8. Specialty Application Forms • They will take longer than you think • Competency questions are key to short listing • Accuracy and attention to detail are key to short listing • On-line applications should be completed in more than one sitting and checked before you send

9. Specialty Application Forms • Presenting your evidence: • Have the person specification to hand • Read the question. Answer what you are being asked NOT what you think you are being asked • Ensure you use the space. Don’t go over word counts • If a general supporting statement is requested, don’t ramble: list your evidence against specific examples to showcase personal skills. E.g. teamwork, ethics, communication….. • Vary your examples to match specialty • Describe not just an experience, but what you learnt from it and how it will help you as you develop your career

10. Specialty Application Forms Use STAR S – Situation (what was happening) T – Task (the goal you set yourself) A - Action (what you did) R – Result (the outcome of your action)

11. Specialty Application Forms DO: • Complete a CV now • Organise your learning portfolio • Read questions carefully • Remember non medical interests / experience • Keep it simple – pick examples that clearly answer the question • Ensure you complete and send on time

12. Specialty Application Forms DON’T: • Book a holiday when forms come out / interviews are scheduled • Be tempted to do anything other than answer the question • Leave submitting till the last minute • Go over word counts • Lie or mislead on the form • Plagiarise

13. Sample form 2010

14. Purpose: Why interview? • Simply: “interview panels main aim is to find out whether you meet the requirements of the person specification for the post for which you are applying, and to make sure that only the best candidates are selected in this highly competitive process” DoH – MMC, An applicants guide 2010

15. Preparation: The basics • Date / Time / Location • Get a good nights sleep the night before • Eat breakfast, lunch etc • Appropriate dress • 55% of first impressions visual – shoes, nails, hair etc • Body language important • Eye contact

16. Overview: Who’s on the panel • Panels will include a mix of people and could include: • Lay chair or lay representative • Regional college adviser or nominated deputy • A university representative or nominated deputy • Training programme director or chair of specialty training committee • Consultant representation from the training programme • Senior management representative • Representation from human resources

17. Overview: How panels run • Will be variations between Deaneries HOWEVER: • Minimum of 3 x 10 min interviews (some may have 4 – you will be made aware prior to interview) • Could include stations assessing: • Clinical skills • Portfolio • Presentation skills • Patient interaction – simulation • Personal skills e.g empathy and sensitivity

18. Portfolio – index example Section Content • Application Form • Curriculum Vitae • Professional Registrations • Foundation One – Evidence of completion • Clinical Skills • Clinical Supervisor reports • Clinical Governance • Teaching & Presentations • Publications and Involvement in Research • Career Development • Leadership • Evidence of Excellence • Certificates (chronological, most recent first) • Reflection • Additional Experience

19. Medical CV A suggested format: • Personal details • Career Plan / Goal • Personal information – GMC number • Professional Qualifications • Education • Professional Expertise – Foundation jobs • Practical Skills • Additional Courses • Research • Teaching & Audit • Other Relevant Skills • Interests • References From ROADs to Success, Elton & Reid

20. Portfolios • Anaesthetics / ACCS / CMT / CST • Others TBC • Know your portfolio inside out • Know your portfolio upside down – literally • Re-read job descriptions / person specs • Awareness of what you maybe assessed against – can you evidence this in portfolio • Portfolio will chart your development • Provides EVIDENCE of competency and enthusiasm for specialty • Portfolio station DVD

21. Presentations • Anaesthetics / ACCS – others TBC • Don’t panic • Flip-chart / OHP / transparencies provided • Will be time bound – DON’T OVERRUN • Communication / pressure / structure / well thought out response – all being assessed • Skills needed when dealing with patients • Person specifications for the specialty • Presentation DVD

22. Structured Interview • Very common / variants likely to be used • Are you competent to do the job? – skills and experience • Do you have the right attitude? – enthusiasm, motivation and drive to be successful • Structured interview DVD

23. Mock GP consultation • 3 x 10 min exercises • Consultation with patient / relative / non medical colleague • Does not involve physical examination • Clinical expertise is not specifically assessed • Person specification • Mock GP consultation DVD

24. Simulation station • Scenario provided • Actors / mannequin used • Person specifications – what skills and qualities are the assessors looking for evidence of? • Treat as a real life situation – be as realistic as possible • Simulation DVD

25. Performance: How to succeed “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail” • Preparation is everything • Job description / person specifications • What skills are required for the specialty • Evidence is the key • Research crucial • Why that specialty • Have you spoken to those already training at that level? • What can you bring to that specialty • Keep up to date with current affairs in medicine

26. GMC Good Medical Practice • Be familiar with this document • See www.gmc-uk.org • Interview will test that you can demonstrate your understanding of the principles.

27. Techniques: • CAMP – Background & Motivation questions: • Clinical: Type of hospital, specific skills/interests • Academic: develop research interests, teaching, education • Management: Service development, educational supervision • Personal: Geography, hobbies etc

28. Techniques: • STAR – when using an example • S – Situation (what was happening) • T – Task (the goal you set yourself) • A - Action (what you did) • R – Result (the outcome of your action)

29. Techniques: • SPIES – Questions on difficult colleagues • Seek info: what is the problem • Patient safety: critical this is assessed • Initiative: can you do anything yourself • Escalate: involve other colleagues as needed • Support: can you support the individual/team

30. Resources www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk www.mmc.nhs.uk www.bmjcareers.com www.gmc-uk.org Books: • The Roads to success: Caroline Elton and Joan Reid • Picard, Oliver, Wood, Dan and Yuen, Sebastian  (2008) 'Medical Interviews: a comprehensive guide to CT, ST and Registrar interview skills'  Published by ISC Medical • How to Get a Job in Medicine: Adam Poole. Elsevier Health Sciences.2005 • Smith, Chris and Meeking, Darryl (2008) ' How to succeed at the medical interview' Blackwell Publishing.