UK Core Surgical Training (CST) Interview Structure

All applicants who meet the eligibility criteria listed on the CST Person Specification will be longlisted and invited for an interview which is held centrally in London.

There are 3 stations, lasting 10 minutes each.

1. Clinical Scenario
2. Management
3. Portfolio  

Interview Format 2018

The interviews almost always run late, so be patient. But you should still turn up early for registration as there may be queues. Dress the part!

Portfolio Advice

Organisation is key. Have your CV and Portfolio Checklist at the start. We would recommend that you then divide your portfolio in sections according to the Portfolio Checklist. Within each section, arrange your documents in (reverse) chronological order. The more you help your examiners understand and navigate your portfolio, the higher your chances of maximising points and keeping your examiner happy, which is always to your benefit!

Portfolio Guidance here

Portfolio Checklist here

Be extra careful about patient identifying information. In particular, candidates often get caught out with eLogbook printouts – make sure to obliterate patient identifiers, date of birth etc.

For more information on sample questions you may encounter on each of the stations, please click here.

Updated by: Miss Yanyu Tan | Last updated: 05/09/2018