General Surgery ST3 Interview Course

Prepare for one of the most competitive surgical interviews in the UK by mastering the frameworks needed to rank highly and secure your first-choice rotation

4.7 Rating (261 Reviews)

Created by Mr Francis Ugwu

General Surgery ST3 Interview Course: surgeons operating in a theatre

Key Features

50+ Expert Topics

Over 100 Questions

New 2027 Updates

Member Only Discussions

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£129

Until 6 May 27

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About

General Surgery ST3 National Selection is a high-stakes interview of about 40 minutes, with more than five applications for every training post in 2025.

To secure your first-choice deanery and training number, you’ll need more than clinical knowledge; you’ll need a clear strategy, consistent structure, and the ability to perform under timed conditions. In short, success depends on preparing for this interview with the same discipline you’d bring to a major exam or viva.

This General Surgery ST3 Interview Course gives you the complete preparation resource: structured frameworks for every station, evidence-based techniques from consultant surgeons and top-performing trainees, and step-by-step guidance on talking through your career and evidence without notes (the interviewers do not see your portfolio), communicating clearly, and demonstrating sound reasoning under pressure.

Every element of this course mirrors the real national selection format – from station timing and scoring domains to the communication style expected by assessors. You’ll learn how to apply proven frameworks across clinical, management and professional development stations, focusing on the domains that consistently secure high-scores and top-ranked offers.

What You'll Learn

Course Content

Overview
How The Interview Is Structured
How To Prepare For The Interview
Key Knowledge And Reading For The Interview
Communication
Interview Practice And Managing Nerves
Common Issues And Pitfalls

Overview, Strategy And Tips
How To Structure Answers To Clinical Scenarios
Power Intro For Clinical Stations
Surgical Wound Classification & Risks For SSIs
NELA: Key Standards
Standards For Emergency Surgical Care & NCEPOD
Sepsis: Definitions And Assessments
VTE Risk Assessment
WHO Surgical Safety Checklist
Peri-Operative Anticoagulation
Trauma Hot Topics – Haemorrhage, Resuscitation & Transfusion
Trauma Hot Topics – Emergency / Resuscitative Thoracotomy
Trauma Hot Topics – Massive Haemothorax
Trauma Hot Topics – Crush Syndrome
Diabetic Foot Infection
Post-Operative Deterioration
Ventral Abdominal Lump
Cyclist Versus Tree
Acute Appendicitis
Loin And Back Pain
Abdominal Pain 1
PR Bleeding
Abdominal Pain 2

Overview, Strategy And Tips
What To Expect
How To Structure Answers To Clinical Scenarios
Power Intro For Clinical Management Stations
Clinical Audit
Audit Versus Research
VTE Risk Assessment
WHO Checklist
DATIX / Incident Reporting
PALS
Key RCS Standards For Emergency Surgical Care
NELA – Key Standards
Consent: Best Practice & Guidance
Caring For Patients Age 0-18
Caring For Patients Who Refuse Blood
Clinical Governance
Endoscopy Service
Concerns In Theatre
Undrained Abscess
Unsupervised Operating
No More Hospital Beds
Delayed In Clinic
Incoming Transfer
Problems With The Theatre List

Overview, Strategy And Tips
Typical Portfolio Station Questions
How To Answer Portfolio Station Questions

Flexible Learning

Online CourseMock Interview Pro Bundle
Question Bank
Discussion Board
Knowledge HubComing SoonComing Soon
Full Mock Interview
Personal Feedback
Price£129£329£349
Buy Now See Dates See Dates

Mock Interview Dates

Choose your preferred date then select Mock Only or Pro Bundle

FEB

20

Saturday | 9 am – 12 pm

Mock Interview

FEB

27

Saturday | 9 am – 12 pm

Mock Interview

MAR

6

Saturday | 9 am – 12 pm

Mock Interview

Authors

Mr Francis UgwuMr Francis Ugwu on LinkedIn

Francis Ugwu is a General Surgical Registrar, Clinical Educator and PhD candidate at the Institute of Global Health Innovation under Lord Professor Darzi. He has a passion for teaching and mentoring, with a specialist interest in development of innovative NHS training platforms, and non-technical skills within medicine.

Why Medset?

Speciality interviews are competitive – and we know what it takes to succeed. Since 2013, we’ve helped thousands of doctors secure training posts by mastering the frameworks, question styles, and high-yield topics that lead to top-ranked offers.

Next-Gen Learning

Our next-generation learning platform Examable® combines expert content with progress tracking, personalised stats, smart notes, podcasts, and discussion boards – giving you everything you need to get that competitive edge.

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£129

Until 6 May 27

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FAQ

The General Surgery ST3 interview is part of the national recruitment process for surgical training in the UK. It assesses your readiness for higher surgical training through clinical, management and professional development stations; in the professional development station you discuss your career to date, and interviewers do not see your portfolio evidence.

The 2026 interview was an online three-station structure (Clinical, Management and Professional Development). NHS England has not yet confirmed the format for 2027.

Dates for the 2027 national selection are to be confirmed. They will fall within the national ST3 window of 11 January to 9 April 2027; in 2026 the interviews were on 26 and 27 March, after evidence upload in December and January.
General Surgery ST3 remains one of the more competitive surgical specialties in the national selection process. In 2025 there were 834 applications for 161 General Surgery ST3 posts, a competition ratio of 5.18, up from 3.76 in 2024 (681 applications for 181 posts). NHS England has not yet published 2026 figures.
Begin preparation early. Know your evidence well enough to explain it without notes, because the interviewers do not see it. Practise the clinical and management scenarios against the 5-plus-10-minute clock, with mock interviews if you can, and be ready to talk about your audit, teaching and leadership in the professional development station.

The course includes:

  • Clinical and management scenarios
  • Communication and professionalism exercises
  • Portfolio discussion and evidence review
  • NHS values, ethics, and leadership principles
Yes – detailed guidance is provided on portfolio scoring, evidence upload and self-assessment, based on the published NHS England criteria (2027 criteria to follow).
Yes. Our mock interview runs the three national stations (clinical, management and professional development), with structured consultant feedback on each station.

The course is fully online. You can access the modules anytime and practise at your own pace. The mock interview is held online on Zoom; the real interview is online too, on Qpercom Recruit.

Yes. If you are applying for General Surgery ST3 in the UK, the course is suitable for you, wherever you trained. It covers UK interview standards, communication style and values-based assessment.
No — an MSRA stage did not appear in the 2026 General Surgery ST3 timeline; confirmation for 2027 is awaited from NHS England.
In the 2026 round interviews were held online on Qpercom Recruit; NHS England has not yet confirmed the 2027 format. In 2026 you needed photo ID (a passport or UK photo driving licence) and had to show the whole room on camera. You could not record, and the interview was stopped if the panel could not see you. NHS England bans AI and other automated tools in online interviews. Anyone found using them is disqualified and may be referred to a professional or regulatory body.

£129

Until 6 May 27
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Key Features

£329

Pay in 3 with Klarna

Key Features