General preparation information, not official recruitment criteria. Confirm arrangements with the recruiting organisation and review professional reasoning with an experienced colleague. Practice scores do not predict recruitment outcomes.
Start with the specific Trust and role
Trust grade and locally employed posts differ between organisations. Read the job description and person specification carefully, including responsibilities, supervision and opportunities for development. Confirm unclear arrangements with the recruiting team.
An IMG is a doctor with an international primary medical qualification, not a single job grade or interview format. Explain why this particular role interests you without implying all NHS or IMG interviews follow the same pattern.
- Check the advertised responsibilities and support.
- Link your experience to the requirements of this post.
- Prepare questions about induction and supervision.
Translate experience without diminishing it
Describe skills from your own practice and explain how they could transfer to the new setting. Be accurate about your role, scope and supervision rather than using titles that may mean something different in another system.
Acknowledge areas you would need to learn, such as local handover, reporting or escalation arrangements. Asking about support and induction can demonstrate preparation; do not claim familiarity with systems you have not used.
- Explain duties in concrete terms.
- Use a specific teamwork or communication example.
- State a realistic learning need.
Explore professional standards and support
GMC resources can help you understand UK professional expectations. Reflect on communication, confidentiality, teamwork and seeking help within your competence, using anonymised examples.
Do not rely on this guide for registration, immigration, contract or legal questions. Check the appropriate official requirements and qualified professional support. For a real clinical concern, follow local processes and involve the appropriate senior team.
- Review the current professional standards.
- Ask how induction and development are supported.
- Distinguish preparation information from eligibility checks.
Build a practice-and-review routine
Confirm the current interview arrangements in your invitation and official applicant information. The themes in this guide are preparation topics, not a forecast of the questions or an official marking scheme. Avoid relying on an old document for eligibility, evidence requirements or timings.
Answer one rehearsal question aloud, then review whether you answered the question, explained your own role and acknowledged uncertainty. Ask a supervisor or experienced colleague to check professional reasoning. Remove identifying patient and colleague details; never upload clinical records. Practice scores describe rehearsal only and do not predict recruitment outcomes.
- Read the current person specification and applicant guidance.
- Choose real examples and record the limits of the evidence.
- Practise a follow-up, not just the opening answer.
- Review with an experienced colleague before relying on the material.
Your next practice task
Map three job requirements to examples from your practice. For each, describe your role, outcome and one local system you would need to learn during induction.
Questions to rehearse
- Why this Trust and this particular post?
- Which experience demonstrates a transferable skill?
- What would you ask about induction, supervision and development?
Original free rehearsal prompts, not official or recalled interview questions.
Sources and further reading
These sources support the broader preparation and professional context, not a universal scoring scheme. Check the latest official guidance for your own round and post; dated documents may have been superseded.