The Medical Job Interview

Colin Mumford is a Consultant Neurologist at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. He has recently given a presentation to juior doctors at the BMJ Careers Fair on interview techniques, which was very well received.

Preface to the second edition.Acknowledgements.Note for would-be medical students.1 Introduction.2 Before the interview.Spotting the advert.'The commando operation' to get on the short list.To visit or not to visit?.Whom to see once you are short listed.How to choose a winning referee.3 Getting the curriculum vitae right.Presentation.Professional company?.Order of jobs.Gaps on the CV.Other content.'Dangerous' CV content.Contact details for your referees.4 The interview.Where, when and how?.What to wear.How to sit.Eye contact, where to look and the 'CV run-through'.Gesture.Voice usage.How to end the interview.5 Specific interview strategies.'I'm in there already'.The rank outsider.Unorthodoxy.Lying.6 The questions.Inevitable questions.Probable questions.Problem questions and how to escape.'Cringe' questions.'Googlies'.Handling the 'vicar's wife' panel member.Hill walking and motorbikes.'Any questions for the panel ...?'.7 Potential minefields for women candidates.Career gaps to have children.Applying for a job share.Other delays in career progress.8 Actual questions and answers.Good, bad and ghastly.9 What happens behind the scenes?.Who choses the panel and how are panel members selected?.Who is the chairman?.What are they told beforehand?.What do they discuss when you've gone?.How important are the references?.10 After the interview.The job offer.Negotiation.What if you weren't successful?.11 Conclusion.Index