Your first consultant interview

Dr Tessa Davis

Thinking about your first NHS consultant interview can feel… well, terrifying and overwhelming.

The process is unfamiliar, the stakes are high, and it might have been years since your last interview. Here’s a practical, unvarnished guide to what to expect – applications, shortlisting, pre-interview meetings, the interview itself, presentations, and the panel – so you can start your prep with confidence.

The Application

The consultant interview journey begins with your application. This is your first hurdle, and it’s scored against the person specification and job description. Your CV and supporting statement need to be tightly matched to those criteria. At this stage, it’s not about smashing them over the head with every achievement you’ve ever had; it’s about showing you meet the requirements on paper. Make it easy for the shortlisters to score you. Once you’re shortlisted, you’re through the first gate.

The Shortlisting

A common myth is that the shortlisting score gives you an advantage in the interview. It doesn’t. Once you’re invited, your interview performance is what counts. It doesn’t matter what you said in your CV, or what you think they know about you already. If you don’t say it in the interview, they can’t give you points for it. It’s easier to assume that they haven’t read your application – and if they have, they won’t remember the details. Anything you want them to know, you’ll need to say clearly and specifically on the day.

The Pre-Interview Meetings

If you do one thing that your competitors might skip, let it be this.

Once you’re shortlisted, you’ll get a list of the panel members. And if you don’t…it’s ok to ask. Email the HR person who invited you to interview to see if you can get more info. Your task is to contact each panel member and arrange a brief meeting before the interview.

This isn’t about schmoozing or trying to win them over. It’s about gathering intel: what are their priorities, what’s worrying them, what’s on their agenda? These meetings are not scored. They give you a chance to get a feel for the department and, crucially, to tailor your interview answers to the real issues facing the team. Don’t overthink sending out the email to ask people to meet. Keep it short and professional; if they ignore you, follow up politely.

If they say no, don’t take it personally; they’re probably declining all candidates. If they say yes, make it happen, even if it’s just a quick Teams call. Prepare three to five questions relevant to their role and listen carefully to their answers. Make the questions broad. Write down what they say – these topics often come up in the interview.

The Interview Structure

The interview itself is usually structured and formal. Expect a panel of five to seven people, each with a defined role (see below). Each will ask you one or two questions, usually related to their scope of practise.

There are usually 40 minutes allocated for the interview. The number of questions varies. Out of 900 interviews that I’ve seen the questions for in the last two years, the average is 10 questions but it can vary from 7 – 23 (!). The usual pattern is that they start with questions about you, then move onto challenging situations, then delivering a quality service, then leadership challenges, and Trust values.

Note: If you’d like to try some interview questions, as a bonus, we’ve put together 12 full real-life interview sets from actual paediatric consultant interview in the last 12 months. You can access them here. You’ll need to set up a Circle account to access them – it’s free and takes two mins to do. Enjoy!

The Panel

Understanding the panel is half the battle. There’s usually:

A Lay Member (often the Chair), there to ensure fairness and due process.
A Chief Exec or their representative, focused on hospital-wide issues and strategy.
A College Representative, ensuring the process meets external standards and often asking about training and education.
The Medical Director or their Deputy, likely to ask about governance, safety, and complaints.
Clinical Leads or consultants from the Department, asking about day-to-day clinical issues and team fit.
Sometimes, a University Rep if there’s a research or teaching component.

Each will score you independently on your answers. No one person can “give” you the job. It’s a level playing field – your answers on the day are what matter.

The Presentation

You may be asked to give a presentation at the start of your interview (or sometimes on a separate day). You’ll know if this applies to you as they will tell you in advance. The presentations are usually 10 minutes, and sometimes only 5 minutes. Occasionally, you will be told that you’ll get the presentation topic one hour before the presentation.

Although this is palpitation-inducing, remember that all the candidates are in the same boat. The topics are commonly around your vision for the service, or what the ideal service looks like.

Treat the presentation as a chance to set the tone: be clear, concise, and stick to the time limit. This is a great chance for you to set the interview off on the right footing. You don’t want to risk overunning and being cut short. Practice until you can deliver it with time comfortably left at the end. Use the title as your guide: if it’s “what is the vision for the service,” show you understand the Department’s challenges (gleaned from your pre-interview meetings and background reading) and offer practical, realistic ideas.

Don’t try to cover everything. Make three key points, illustrate them with examples, and summarise at the end. This structure works – intro, three points, conclusion.

5 Common Mistakes (and How To Avoid Them)

Assuming your CV speaks for itself: It doesn’t. Say everything you want them to know in the interview room, as if they know nothing about you.
Waiting to the last minute to start your prep. You know an interview is on the horizon when you are in your final year of training. Don’t wait until the job is advertised or you have an interview date to prep. If this is your dream job, put the work in to make sure you get it. For comparison, think about how much work you did for your exams…and you get more than one go at them.
Rambling answers: Use a structure – pause, write down three points, give an intro, develop each point, and summarise. Practise this until it feels natural.
Over-preparing on background reading, under-preparing on practice: You need to know the basics (CQC report, board minutes, key challenges), but most of your time should go into practising answers out loud, ideally under timed conditions and with feedback.
Not reaching out for pre-interview meetings: Your competitors will be doing this. Don’t let inertia or nerves hold you back.

The consultant interview process is designed to be robust, but it’s not rocket science. Being a good interview candidate is a skill you can learn like any other. Start early, use small pockets of time, and focus on practice over endless reading. The job is genuinely up for grabs – don’t talk yourself out of it before you start.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s normal. The good news is, every step you take now – however small – puts you ahead of where you were yesterday.

Start with one thing: draft your pre-interview email, read the CQC report, or practise a two-minute answer to a common question. The rest will follow.

Tessa Davis is a Paediatric Emergency Medicine Consultant and Honorary Clinical Reader in PEM, and an Interview Coach. She runs the Ace Your Consultant Interview Academy.