Interview Skills for Core Surgical Training

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Interview Skills for Core Surgical Training

This one-day course is designed to prepare foundation trainees and medical students considering a career in surgery for core surgical training interviews. With fierce competition for core surgical training places, participants can benefit from extra insight into the interview process. They will also have the opportunity to practice their interview skills with feedback on performance from senior surgeons.

Suitability

This one-day intense practical course is focused entirely on the practical aspects of interviews. The course is delivered in OSCE design and aimed at foundation trainees considering a career in surgery.

Relevant Grades: FY1, FY2

Course Format

On the day there will be short PowerPoint presentations and the majority of the time will be devoted to OSCE station interview practice, detailed portfolio review, role-play, and video with one-to-one feedback. There will also be an opportunity to discuss questions about your specific surgical career pathway portfolio in detail.

Course Objectives

This intensive, practical simulation course is designed to prepare foundation trainees, who are considering a career in surgery, for the core surgical training interviews.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe common themes for interview questions and strategies for approaching them;
  • Describe the interview process, calendar and requirements for interview;
  • Present themselves appropriately for interview;
  • Demonstrate positive non-verbal communication in an interview situation;
  • Describe the strengths and weaknesses in their interview performance;
  • Describe how to address weaknesses in interview performance;
  • Describe the common pitfalls in interview performance;
  • Apply techniques for managing anxiety in the interview context;
  • Visualise a typical core surgical training interview set-up.

Costs

Course Fee: £245.00

Course Fee for Affiliate Members: £220.00

Course Director

Mr Sam Majumdar, Honorary Reader & Consultant Surgeon, Ninewells Hospital, Medical School & University of Dundee. Edward Mains, Course Co-Director

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to do before the course?

Yes, please send an up to date one-page CV by word document and also bring a copy of your portfolio on the day.

How do I contact the Education Section?

The Education Section is open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.  If you wish to contact a member of the team please see contact details below:

Education mailbox:  education@rcsed.ac.uk

Phone number:  0131 527 1600

Will I receive CPD?

All RCSEd educational activity is awarded CPD hours. Please see individual course for specific award.

Will I receive a Certificate?

Yes, RCSEd Certificates of Attendance are awarded for all educational courses and are handed out at the end of the course (however, please note that where an event has a PASS or FAIL this will be posted to you after the event). 

What is RCSEd’s course cancellation policy?
  1. What happens if RCSEd cancels a course I am booked on?
  2. On occasion, RCSEd may need to cancel a course, for example if we are affected by an event out with our control or if it is not financially viable for us to deliver the course. If we do need to cancel, we will let you know as soon as possible and provide you with a full refund of course fees paid.

RCSEd shall incur no further liability (eg. travel or accommodation costs). You may wish to consider taking out appropriate travel insurance for any non-refundable costs you may incur when arranging to attend the course.

  1. What happens if I need to cancel my place on a course I am booked?
  2. If you cancel your place more than four weeks before the event date, you will incur an administration fee of 10% (or £50, whichever is greater) of the total course fee. NB: For course fees £250 and under, the cancellation fee is £30)

If you cancel your place less than four weeks before the course date, once the course has started, or you do not notify us, the total course fee will be charged, and no refund will be given.

Please also note that you cannot transfer your place on a Course to someone else.  This is because many of our courses have a waiting list, and we have an obligation to honour this.

  1. Can I cancel a course booking online?
  2. NO, cancellations must be made directly with the education team by email (education@rcsed.ac.uk).
  3. Can I transfer to another date for the same course?
  4. YES, you can transfer to another date by contacting the Education section directly (education@rcsed.ac.uk). Please note that you can transfer only once and transfers can only be made if more than 4 weeks prior to the start of the course, without incurring additional costs.  Should you cancel again, no refund shall be given.

Should you have any further questions, the Education Team can be contacted on 0131 527 1600 or by email to education@rcsed.ac.uk.

How do I book a place on an RCSEd course?

You can book a place for all our courses by visiting the RCSEd website, and selecting the course you wish to book.  Please note that you will need to register with the website in order to book.

For some regional and international courses you will need to book directly with the centre.  Please check individual courses for details.

You can also contact the Education Section by phone to book (0131 527 1600).

What payment methods do RCSEd accept?

Visa and MasterCard are accepted on the RCSEd website and over the phone to the education team.

All course bookings will receive a booking confirmation email:  this email acts as your receipt.

Request an Invoice:  If your course fees will be paid by a third party (eg trust, hospital, charitable fund) and they wish to be invoiced then they must provide us with an official purchase order.  We are unable to process applications without this.

The purchase order should be submitted with the application form and can be emailed to education@rcsed.ac.uk.  Please note that we can only invoice organisations and not individuals.  Please check with your hospital or trust, as some may require you to pay yourself and then claim the money back.

Do I receive a discount if I am a Member of RCSEd?

A 10% discount is applied to all educational courses and events organised directly through RCSEd, for Members, Fellows, Associates and Affiliates.

Are you able to help me with my VISA application?

YES, RCSEd can provide you with a Visa support letter confirming the course details and fees paid by you.  This is only possible once you have booked your place on a course and RCSEd have received the full course fee.

If a course is fully booked what can I do? Is there a waiting list?

If a course appears full and you wish to be placed on a waiting list then please contact the education team directly by email education@rcsed.ac.uk or phone 0131 527 1600.

Do you provide lunch or refreshments?

YES, for all educational courses, refreshments are served throughout the day and lunch is provided if the duration is one day or more.


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Get in touch

If you have any questions about this course, please contact us and a member of our Education team will be happy to help you.

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Education Section

Phone: +44 (0)131 527 1600
Fax: +44 (0)131 557 6406

Email: education@rcsed.ac.uk