The interview / assessment centre
The main stage of your application to IMT is the interview - sometimes referred to as the 'assessment centre' or 'selection centre'.
Here you will be asked a series of questions by clinicians for different question areas. The 'Structure & content' tab has detail about the question areas included.
Consistent for all applicants
The structure and content of IMT interviews will be consistent among all applicants; all online interviews will follow exactly the same format and cover the same areas of assessment.
Sharing information about the interview
Whilst it is natural that you may wish to discuss your experience at interview with others, you must not share detailed information about the interview, beyond that which is publicly available (ie which is available from this website) - specifically, the content and format of questions asked. Ultimately, this may reduce your own chances of success and is unfair to all other candidates.
Individual questions are changed regularly at each interview centre and candidates are advised against altering their behaviour based on the advice of others.
The interview will consist of four main question areas which will last between 3-9 minutes each. Overall you will be scored on six areas, which is the four question areas, plus an additional score in the clinical scenario and your overall communication skills. You will be scored by two interviewers on each question.
Including time for questioning and reading, the interview will be approximately 25 minutes.
Details of the areas of assessment in each of the four questions can be viewed by clicking on the tabs below.
In the three minutes before your interview starts, you will be given a clinical scenario to review. Upon arrival in the interview, you will be asked questions relating to this scenario.
Questioning in the scenario may cover the following:
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what next steps you would take, e.g. further investigations
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your differential diagnosis
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any potential treatments possible
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any further information you would gather
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how you would go about communicating with any people (eg patients, family members, colleagues) involved in the scenario.
The clinical scenario will be relatively brief (a few sentences), so once you have seen this, the remainder of the preparation time will allow you to undertake some short mental preparation. Whilst it is permitted to make notes, these must be destroyed as soon as your interview is completed and not shared with anyone.
Questioning on the clincial scenario will last for up to eight minutes. After this, you will be asked to do a one-minute handover of the patient to a colleague. This will require you to speak for up to one minute as if you were speaking to the person being given the handover.
Areas for assessment
There are two areas that will be scored in the clinical scenario question:
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One mark will be awarded to you based on the investigations you would do, your diagnosis given the information available and subsequent management of the patient.
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The second mark will be awarded for your handover and your ability to relay information in a clear, concise and accurate way.
The ethical question deals with consideration of the moral, ethical, legal, etc. issues of a particular situation. This question will not be available to you to consider in advance and the hypothetical scenario will be given to you on completion of the clinical scenario.
You will be assessed on your responses to the ethical scenario, as well as knowledge of the different considerations required.
This question will last up to five minutes.
Once the ethical question has been completed, the second half of the interview focuses on your career to date and future intentions.
This question will focus on your suitability for and commitment to training in the specialty and give you opportunity to expand on the information provided in your application form. You may also be asked about your interests outside medicine.
Questioning on this area will last approximately three minutes.
Following immediately on from the suitability and commitment question, this question will focus on your application form and training to date. Interviewers will ask you questions based on your career and achievements to date.
This question will last up to three minutes. At the end of this question your interview will be completed and you will be asked to leave the interviewing room.
Where applicants have dyslexia, it is common practice for reading time to be increased by 25%.
This is also the policy employed at IMT interviews; and where this comes into play specifically is where candidates prepare for assessment of 'scenarios'.
Scenarios
Only question 1 will use a scenario. In the three minutes before your interview starts, you will be given a clinical scenario to review. Upon arrival in the interview room, you will be asked questions relating to this scenario.
Scenario text
The actual text in the scenario is quite short - two/three brief sentences at most - and so the bulk of preparation time is to allow you to consider the scenario and the next steps you would take (eg diagnosis, treatment, further questions, etc.); rather than it being 'reading time' as such.
But should you have dyslexia and wish to request extra time here, this can be granted in line with the recommendations on your pyschological assessment.
Requesting adjustment
If you have dyslexia and wish to request this adjustment, please add information to the personal page of your application regarding this.
You can now load documents directly to Oriel on your aplication. You need to explain the requirement and then upload the documentary evidence to the application when prompted to do so.
Further information
The British Dyslexia Association has a webpage dedicated to how the Equalities Act 2010 relates to dyslexia.