Mastering your medical college interview

You've successfully navigated medical school, made it through your internship and built up a CV that showcases your clinical rotations, research contributions and that audit project you stayed up until 2am formatting. Now, after navigating the lengthy application process, you’ve been invited for an interview – the final hurdle between you and a coveted place on your chosen specialist training program.   

Here's what many junior doctors don't realise: the candidates who get chosen by the interview panel aren't those who have memorised perfect answers. They're selected because they’ve made the effort to understand what the college is actually assessing.

We’ve spoken with several specialist colleges about their process for selecting trainees, and here are their insights on how to increase your chance of success at this critical stage in your career pathway.

Stay up-to-date with the college's criteria

Each medical college has specific selection criteria, and these change over time. Check the website of the college you’re applying to so you are clear about their current selection process and requirements.

For instance, RANZCP breaks down their assessment explicitly – clinical knowledge comprises 20% of the total score, while teamwork counts towards 10%. Other factors include professional integrity, communication and motivation. Using this kind of breakdown can help guide you when preparing for the interview and crafting your responses.

If you’re interviewing with RANZCOG they are likely to be looking for demonstration of both surgical competency and women's health advocacy. These requirements form the lens through which the interview panel will evaluate your answers, and it’s up to you to ensure your skills and values come through.

Structure your clinical stories and examples

You should already have thought about a number of scenarios and situations you’ve dealt with that you can talk about in the interview, but it’s important to structure your response in a way that highlights your strengths. The STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action & Result) is a useful way to make sure your ‘action’ and ‘result’ clearly demonstrate at least one of the values highlighted in the college’s selection criteria.

It's also worth weaving in specific scenarios when asked more generic questions where the interviewers have not explicitly asked about your experience. And remember, they’re looking for answers that show what you actually did, not a hypothetical opinion on what might have been a good way to behave.

Try to demonstrate multiple assessment criteria in a single clinical scenario – for example, a situation where you proved yourself to be a good collaborator, your ability to prioritise, use clear communication and reflect on your practice.

Prepare to be challenged

Colleges increasingly use situational or past behaviour questions to probe both your clinical reasoning and ethical framework. For example, RACP interviews might present a scenario:
"An elderly patient with dementia refuses treatment their family insists upon. What do you do?"

Your answer should demonstrate more than medical knowledge. Discuss capacity assessment, exploring the patient's values, involving geriatrics or ethics consultation, and navigating family dynamics with empathy. Show you understand that medicine exists within complex social and ethical contexts, not just pathophysiology textbooks.

Also, don’t be caught off guard if you’re stopped mid-answer and asked for further clarification – this can sometimes be a way of assessing how well you cope under pressure, or in unexpected situations. In this case, it’s best to pause briefly, organise your thoughts and then provide a structured response to address the point you’re being asked to elaborate on. 

And remember there may not be one right answer; some of these questions aim to see how you can weigh up all sides of an argument, rather than provide the 'correct' response.

Demonstrate genuine engagement with the specialty

Panels can spot generic motivation easily. If you say "I've always been passionate about psychiatry" but your CV shows no college events attended, no mental health rotations beyond your mandatory term, and no relevant professional development activities, chances are the interviewer will question your genuine motivation.

Instead, be specific:
"Working in the acute psychiatric unit at Royal Melbourne showed me how therapeutic relationships can transform outcomes. I've since completed the Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health, attended the RANZCP Congress, and pursued research into postpartum psychosis under Dr. Smith's supervision. This specialty challenges me to integrate biological, psychological and social perspectives in a way general medicine doesn't."

Address your weaknesses strategically

When asked about your weakness, avoid the cliché responses like being a perfectionist – they’ve heard it too many times. Be honest but show how you’ve learnt from being challenged:
“Early in my rotation, I struggled with the emotional weight of adverse outcomes. I addressed this through peer support, formal debriefing and developing better compartmentalisation strategies. This taught me the importance of resilience and self care in a demanding specialty.”

Being honest in this way shows insight, help-seeking behaviour and growth, which are all highly valued attributes for medical professionals.

Remember, colleges aren't just looking for doctors who can pass exams – they're selecting future fellows who will represent the specialty for decades. Show them you understand what this means, backed by evidence that you're already living these values.

Your impressive CV earned you the interview. Your ability to articulate your professional identity and show genuine specialty engagement, will help you stand out from the competition.