???

[nicolacurrie]

yea, in response to one of the interview questions,

how long does it actually take to become a consultant surgeon?

thanks, nicola x

[andrewbaillie]

I think i know this one. Isnt it 5 years at med school, 1 year as a junior doc, 2 years as an SHO and 5/6 years as a specialist registrar (=13/14 years)

Someone please correct me if i'm wrong.

[nicolacurrie]

i really dont know. do you have to be an SHO for 2yrs? i thought it was 1 minimum??

[DScollon]

Time spent as an SHO is getting longer in most areas of medicine. For something like surgery, I've never heard of anyone getting an SpR post after only 2 years as an SHO.

[nicolacurrie]

do you think you could maybe, possibly, please give us the answers to some of those interview questions. Like that one?

I have hunted in books and still can't find the answers to some.

obviously you could'nt answer the ones where it is our opinion but you could give us (as far as you know ofcourse) an idea of what they are looking for

n x

ps. interviews are EVIL! like UCAS forms!! :evil

[andrewbaillie]

I'm afraid i'm not completely up to scratch on this subject then. I was looking on the website for the royal college of surgeons a while ago when I found that info. Since I didnt know any better I took it as being right.
How long does it actually take?

[relliott]

there aren't right and wrong answers in the interviews. It is perfectly valid to say that you don't know how long it takes to become a consultant surgeon so long as you realise that it takes a long time and a lot of hard work.

Interviews are not designed to trip you up and show you up as an imbecile. It really is just to get a better idea of who you are and why you want to be a medic and to weed out unsuitable candidates. I got offers form 4 universities and still don't know how long it takes to be a surgeon. There are questions in my interview I really think I messed up, but I still got there.

Don't panic about interviews. Relax, smile and be yourself. Sure, go in forearmed with answers to tricky questions like "who is the most important member of the medical team?" (go for the patient, or say that nobody is since good medical care works on many levels and departments), "why do you want to study medicine?" (really, DO ask yourself this BEFORE you start! I know people who didn't want to be in first year and have flunked off the course because of it)

Don't be scared to say what you think. The people interviewing you are rational normal people who will expect you to be an individual with your own opinions

good luck everyone

[Damien]

Hi,

I was asked that question at my interview and I said "A while, maybe 6-10 years" and the interviewer sort of nodded (perhaps in agreement).

As long as you know that it takes longer to be a consultant surgeon than in other specialities (I think).

Damien :evil