CST Interview Flashcards
Why should we choose you?
Clinically - I’ve done MRCS A&B
Academically - published 2x first authors
Management - I love setting up teaching courses
Personally - teamwork, friendly, fun
Link to CST
Greatest strength
PROACTIVITY
- at work
- extracurricular
TEACHING
- course and bedside
Link to CST
Greatest weakness
DELEGATION SKILLS
BACKGROUND
In foundation years its common to be the person delegated to. Its a huge skill to be able to delegate to your juniors in an effective manner that balances being clear without being bossy.
EXAMPLE = busy shift
Over the last year I’ve been lucky enough to work with some really inspirational registrars who have shown me how to get this balance right. On a very busy shift, we had multiple patients to review at once. The reg stayed in control, but delegated to me to see one of the patients by myself and regroup later.
LINK TO CST
Working on this is one of the reasons I’m so excited for CST, at which point I will be working within a team, but often with foundation doctor who will be able to help with certain jobs at times.
Why surgery/CST?
Springboard to apply for ST3 ACF in orthopaedics
Skill toolset vs physical toolset
Amazing impact on QoL - arthroplasty
CST to gain breadth of transferrable skills
What do you like least about the specialty/surgery?
Cancelling operations.
EXAMPLE - femur fracture in a child delay. Aggression by worried parents -> comms skills
SOLUTION - periop comms skills courses, MRCS part B exam
Where will you be in 5 and 10 years time
5 - CAMP
ACF T&O in major teaching hospital. Fundamental in trauma operations and basics in arthroplasty. Ongoing PhD tech related. Ortho teaching programme.
10 - academic surgeon, fellowship in Switzerland, pathway to become associate professor
Communication skills
STATEMENT
I know this is one of my greatest strengths, both with patients and between professionals.
EVIDENCE
78/80 in MRCSB (mean 57)
EXAMPLE
femur fracture child story
REFLECTION
continually improve. periop comms skills course. Link to CST.
Is empathy important
STATEMENT
hugely important first and foremost for PATIENTS, but also for COLLEAGUES
EXAMPLE PATIENT
femur fracture child story. Specifically the fact that mum and dad needed different types of comms to calm down. (mum, technical; dad, emotional)
EXAMPLE COLLEAGUE
Distressed F1 with ward jobs list story. Talked through jobs, created priority list. Helped with some jobs
REFLECTION
Link to CST
Teamwork skills
STATEMENT
Teamwork is essential no matter setting: ward, theatre, academic projects
EXAMPLE
?????
Leadership & management skills
- in YOURSELF
STATEMENT
Leadership & management skills are important no matter the setting: ward, theatre, academic projects
EXAMPLE - Robo - leadership AND management
I have led university sports teams, teaching courses and QIPs, but I’d like to give you the example of when I led a research team for a systematic review to examine reporting standards in robotic anti-reflux surgery. I was first author, and led a collaborative of over 50 medical students and junior doctors to extract data from the papers we included. I was in charge of leading the project - meaning I hosted video-conferences to outline the project to our collaborators, determined what data points needed extracting, and how they fit in to the overall synthesis - but also in charge of managing the project - meaning I had to make sure deadlines from these 50 students were met, that people who asked for more papers to extract data on received them etc.
REFLECTION
Great learning for me leading and managing a big team, taught me the difference between the two. Can’t wait to bring these skills forward in to CST.
Leadership and management
- in SOMEONE ELSE
EXAMPLE 1
Busy on call shift - registrar was unflappable. Multiple unwell patients. Delegated effectively to myself, allowed me to be independent but remained supportive. Prioritised
EXAMPLE 2
At a conference in Belfast I learned about a Mt Everest expedition medic who was the lead medics up on the mountain. The way they spoke about using their team was inspiring. Quote that remained with me “if you want to go fast, go by yourself; if you want to go far, go with your team”.
Teaching
- experience
STATEMENT
I LOVE TEACHING - its one of the true joys of the job. Teaching both formally and informally and has led me attain an FHEA qualification.
EXAMPLE FORMALLY - teaching series
I designed and led a surgical teaching series for final year medical students. It became a national course. The consultant observed many of my teaching sessions and nominated me for a Greatix award for excellence in teaching, which is a trust wide award. I also designed and led a surgical webinar series to democratise access to surgical teaching during the pandemic, which had over 5000 feedback responses and averaged 4.5/5 star reviews.
EXAMPLE INFORMALLY - bedside US cannulation
I also love informal teaching during the working day. Most recently, I taught an FY1 how to perform an US-guided cannula. I explained my method firstly and showed him how the machine worked. He then observed me do it on a patient. A week later, I observed/coached him how to do it on another patient. He’s since thanked me because he managed to do one independently on an on call shift, which is fulfilling for me to hear as a teacher.
REFLECTION
I will rely on my teaching skills throughout my career, and hope to be an academic surgeon one day delivering lectures and workshops to university students.
teaching
- what skills make you a good teacher
Good grounding in teaching methodology
- multiple courses and an FHEA qualification
- able to use multiple methods - didactic, PBL, technology-based, skills-based
Practical experience
- FORMALLY - teaching courses
- INFORMALLY - bedside teaching
Teaching style
- clear and confident, but love having questions asked
REFLECTION
Using these skills, I won a hospital award in my F1 for teaching. I will use these skills and bring them forward into CST.
Audit/QIP
AIM = to identify omissions in regular medication prescriptions
STANDARD = NICE guidelines stating they should be prescribed within 24 hours
FINDINGS = rates in 24hrs were 40%, 60%, 85%
ACTIONS = creation of a standard operating protocol for the department of who is responsible for charting these meds
Reflection
Leadership (other Drs doing data extraction), learning how to be flexible and make iterative improvements. I will bring this in to CST.
Research
I have had experience making me a well rounded researcher so far, with lab, library, qualitative and quantitive projects.
I have done a lab project using human PTECs to elucidate the biochemistry of cystinuria.
I have done a qualitative review looking at the content within PILs for surgical RCTs that use placebos
I have done a systematic review looking at reporting standards in robotic antireflux surgery
I am MOST proud of a Cochrane review that I have first authored, looking at the diagnostic accuracy of two blood tests for HCV. Although not surgical, HIGHLY transferrable skills. Enormous amount of work and has taught me concepts in assessing ROB, heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis as well as stats concepts such as sens/spec/NPV/LR.
Reflection
I intend on bringing these skills forward during CST and from day 1 of CST I am going to find a supervisor in orthopaedics to undertake a research project in this field.
