In this episode, Tessa and Becky tackle a common fear for many final‑year trainees and locum consultants: how to handle a non‑linear training path at consultant interview, especially if you have trained overseas or stepped off programme.

They cover:

• Non‑linear training – why it is a strength, not a red flag, and how to shift from apologising to owning the value you bring.
• Describing overseas experience – how to use numbers, volume, and clear outcomes so the panel really understands your clinical exposure rather than guessing.
• Avoiding dull chronology – how to move away from “first I did this job, then that job” towards “these are the skills I’ve developed and what I can do for you now”.
• Mistake questions – a real example about emailing a trainee about a complaint, and how to use it to show reflection, empathy, and learning without choosing a disastrous case.

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Plus how one pair of Academy students used daily 6–6.45 am practice sessions to secure a dream post.

If you have a non‑standard path, trained overseas, or simply worry that your route into consultancy looks “different”, this episode will show you how to talk about it clearly and confidently in your NHS consultant interview.

Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you ​a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview​: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com

In this episode of the Ace Your Consultant Interview podcast, Tessa and Becky dive into three questions that almost every final‑year trainee and locum consultant worries about.​

They cover:

• The “tell me about a mistake” question – whether your example needs to be clinical, how to use non‑clinical mistakes safely, and how to avoid oversharing the kind of catastrophic story that makes a panel nervous.​
• What makes a strong MDT example – using a project to show the difference between registrar‑level storytelling and consultant‑level, system‑focused thinking.​
• “How has your project changed your department?” – why this question is a gift if you’ve prepared, how to choose the right project to showcase your USPs, and how to use concrete data and outcomes to demonstrate real service change.​

If you’re ready to move from “I managed a sick patient really well” to “I improved the whole service for all our patients,” this episode will show you how to zoom out, think like a consultant, and turn your everyday work into golden interview examples.

Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you ​a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview​: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com

In this episode of the Ace Your Consultant Interview podcast, Tessa and Becky answer a real Academy student question about a panel member who complained that candidates “reel off their CV highlights.”

They then dig into a golden duty of candour example involving incorrect bowel prep and an enema for a child.

Next up is a common but unsettling question: “What is the value of having diversity in your leadership?” Tessa and Becky talk through how to pause, think it through, and discuss why these examples are worth preparing in advance rather than trying to improvise on the day.​

They wrap up with their favourite tool: the three‑point structure. You’ll learn how using three clear pillars anchors you when your mind goes blank, forces breadth and depth in equal measure, keeps your timing in the right zone, and makes your answers far easier for panels to follow and score. By the end, you’ll know how to turn vague, waffly responses into organised, confident answers for your NHS consultant interview.

Sign up for our free 5-day email course to give you ​a Crash Course To Ace Your Consultant Interview​: https://aceyourconsultantinterview.com