Interviews

All eligible applicants will be invited to an online interview on Microsoft Teams.

All eligible applicants will be invited to book a 15 minute online interview. The interview will focus on your suitability and commitment to Higher Training. 

Interview dates for your recruitment round are available on the recruitment timeline.

Booking an interview slot

Interviews slots are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.

You will receive an invitation which will contain details of how you can use the online booking faciliity to book an interview slot within your Oriel account. Once you have booked a slot, you will recieve a confirmation message.

If there are technical issues during your interview, we will attempt to rearrange your interview slot for later in that same session, so you may want to make sure you have no commitments during the morning or afternoon of when you book your interview slot.

Preparing for your interview

Before your interview, make sure that you check in advance that you have a good internet connection, can sit in the interview room alone with no distractions and have a laptop or computer with a working webcam and microphone. We recommend using the Google Chrome browser.

You are advised to log on for your interview slot promptly at the time you have booked for to allow sufficient time for document checking to be completed prior to their interview. If you arrive late for your scheduled interview, then you should be prepared for the fact that it may not be possible to give you a later interview slot or rearrange an interview slot for you. Should this happen, this means that we would be unable to progress your application any further.

Documents

When you join the online interview, you will asked to share your identification (ID) onscreen with the picture page open.

You will also be asked to show the administrator the room you are sat in to ensure that you are alone and in a suitable place.

Online interviews

You will be asked 2 scenario-based questions. These questions have been developed to:

• allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of core skills and attributes relevant to ST4 Psychiatry
• provide a standardised interview process for all applicants, regardless of which ST4 Psychiatry specialties they wish to be considered for
• be answered without the need for any supporting evidence to be provided or checked

Data from previous intakes show that applicants’ scores do not noticeably improve over time. Those who were interviewed later on in the process did not have an advantage over applicants who were interviewed earlier on in the process.

How the interview will run

Both interview questions will be asked by a single panel interview of 2 clinical assessors. An administrator, and possibly a lay representative or other observer, may also be in the virtual interview room.

The interview will be approximately 15 minutes. 6 minutes will be spent on each question. 

Please be aware that during the 6 minutes the assessors will ask you a series of questions relating to the stem topic. You must not rely on a scripted answer, or detailed notes. The purpose of the interview is to explore your understanding of the associated issues, and your engagement in a conversation is important

At the start of your interview, the administrator will explain the basic set-up to you. They will also keep time during the station and together with the panel members move you on to the next question and end the interview when time is up. This approach allows interviewers to focus on looking at you.

Tips for being interviewed in a virtual environment

• We understand that you may be nervous due to the new format of questions and risk of technical issues. Take your time to read the guidance beforehand so you are familiar with the process. 
• Use non-verbal communication to demonstrate engagement with the panel members. For example, maintaining eye contact, nodding your head and keeping arms unfolded.
• Communication is a key attribute that is assessed during interviews. A virtual interview still allows for some assessment of communication but please be assured that.
• We have asked panel members to be mindful that technical issues (video and sound) or background noise may negatively affect how you come across. Please consider using headphones or finding a quieter location if you think noise may be an issue for you.
• We have asked panel members to be aware that body language such as eye contact or hand movements may be affected by placement of the camera and that it may be difficult for you to see how you are coming across.Please do test out where you sit and how you position your camera in advance of interviews in order to try and mitigate any such issues.

Stem interview questions for February 2025 intake

Part A: Managing a complex case (6 minutes)

You have just taken over care of a patient and are meeting with her for the first time. The patient says that she is unhappy with her care and that she disagrees with her management plan. You have been informed that the patient’s case is complex, and that she, her relatives and the team involved in her care, have regularly disagreed as to the best way forwards. Assume she has capacity to make her own decisions. How would you approach the situation?

Part B: Working/Training within a stretched system (6 minutes)

You have begun your ST4 training at a Mental Health Trust. The hospital you work in is extremely busy and psychiatric teams are understaffed. You have seen some poor examples of teamwork and patient care as a result of this. How might this affect your work, and what would you do in response to this?

 Concerns on the day 

If an issue happens on the day of your interview, you should ask to speak to the Lay Representative or the Recruitment Lead. If you are unable to do this, please email us on the same day on [email protected] and we will look into the matter for you.

Outcomes and feedback

Interview outcomes, scores and written feedback will be released ahead of the offers. If you are not deemed appointable at interview, you will receive an email to let you know this and will receive feedback on your performance.

• Recruitment timelines

  The key Higher Training recruitment dates

• Scoring overview

  Find out how your final scores are calculated