ST3 Application/Interview Experience – Mr A Lloyd

@ The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital

Adam Lloyd joined the BOTP as ST3 in July 2017, his interviews were in early 2017.
1. Prepare EARLY. Read the ST3 person specification and tailor your portfolio accordingly. Also, invest in a decent folder for your portfolio. It helps make a good impression and that you’re serious about your career choice.
2. Ask previous trainees if you can flip through their portfolios for inspiration, but remember that your portfolio is about you. Highlight your strengths regardless of what they are. If there’s an area of your portfolio which is weaker then don’t make it prominent. Also think about ways in which to respond to weaknesses in your portfolio if challenged and show the panel that you know what you are going to do in the future.
3. Know your anatomy for the clinical stations inside out.
4. Make a list of ten or so “T&O emergencies or presentations” e.g. Limping febrile child etc and make a list of how you’d assess and manage the patient. Show that you’re thinking like an SpR and think outside the box, be prepared to discuss differential diagnoses and management accordingly.
5. Go on an interview prep course. If for nothing else, having an opportunity to sit down in an “interview” situation and be grilled helps to identify areas you can improve for the interview itself. It also helps you feel more prepared and consequently less nervous on the day. There are lots of courses out there, I’d recommend the Sheffield orthonetwork interview course as it helped me and was relatively inexpensive ~£75. I know colleagues who did Bristol and highly recommended it but it is a lot more expensive.