1

Trainee Interview Questions

2

Appointment

• Were you appointed through the appropriate recruitment process?

• If not, how were you appointed?

Job description and objectives

• When you start each placement are you provided with an outline of what you will be doing or a job description and an explanation of how the post provides opportunities to meet the requirements of the curriculum?

Trust induction

• Did you attend a Trust induction when you started in post?

• When did Trust induction take place?

• How useful was it and what did it cover?

• Did it equip you to start work in the Trust, for example: - were computer passwords issued? - was the layout of the Trust addressed? - Were you introduced to key educational figures within the Trust, such as the DME and specialty leads for your programme?

• Did you receive a Trust handbook or details of how to access the information on the Trust intranet?

• Were you given specific timescales for completing any e-learning modules of Trust induction?

Unit induction

• Did you attend an induction to each clinical unit?

• Did it equip you to work on the unit? Did it cover handover, the rota, a tour of the unit, common protocols etc?

3

Equality and diversity

• Have you received equality and diversity training in the past twelve months?

• Was it part of induction or is it embedded within the formal training programme?

• Do your trainers help you to understand how the principles of equality and diversity relate to patient care within your specialty?

• Are you treated with dignity and respect in your workplace?

• Are you aware of the Trust’s dignity at work policy?

Life support skills

• Were your life support skills certificates checked when you commenced work?

• Did you receive life support training if required? (Did O&G trainees receive neonatal training? Did paediatric trainees receive adult training?)

4

Training Experience

• Is the work experience appropriate to meet the needs of the curriculum? Do you receive: - scheduled, graded supervision in theatre or on the wards - structured, supervised outpatient experience - supervised on-call experience - feedback from on-call activity - learn procedures such as chest drains etc

• Do you have the following opportunities to learn from your clinical work: - post take ward rounds - follow up of post ops in outpatients - follow up of acute admissions on ward rounds - teaching ward rounds

• Is there sufficient clinical experience to meet the needs of all the trainees (and others) working in the unit?

• Are you exposed to duties or responsibilities you haven’t been trained to undertake or you feel are beyond your competence? For example: - taking consent - access to senior cover - prescribing/transcribing/mixing cytotoxics

• Are you expected to participate in tasks with little educational value? For example: - routine phlebotomy - mixing intravenous drugs

Clinical supervision

• Do you always have ready access to senior support?

• Do you receive positive and negative feedback?

• Are you being coached in learning new procedures?

• Have your clinical supervisors had training for this role?

5

Handover

• Do you feel adequately informed at commencement of a shift about the prior management of problems you are assuming responsibility for?

• Are you able to safely handover the care of your patients at the end of your duty period?

• Is a consultant/middle grade present?

• Are there opportunities to learn from the handover arrangements?

Clinical governance

• Do protocols exist for common conditions and are they audited and kept up to date?

• Is there a process of reporting critical incidents?

• Do you receive feedback if you submit a report or are involved in a critical incident?

• Are you taught skills in audit and managing change?

• Do you have an audit project?

Working relationships

• Have you been subject to or witnessed inappropriate behaviour?

• Do you feel you work in an environment that supports a multiprofessional approach to patient care?

• Are you ever taught in a team?

• Do you feel a valued member of the healthcare team? Do you get feedback on your team working skills?

• Are you able to access the support services appropriate to your clinical responsibilities? For example radiology and pathology.

• Do you receive appropriate support from secretarial and portering staff?

6

Workplace learning and assessment

• Are you receiving appropriate teaching in the clinical environment?

• Who are the main providers of teaching in the clinical environment?

• Are you able to access the workplace based assessments as specified in the curriculum? For example DOPs, MiniCEX, CBDs.

• Who undertakes these assessments?

• Are other healthcare professionals involved?

• Is multi source feedback included in the process?

• Have you had an NHS appraisal?

Educational Supervision

• Do you have a named educational supervisor?

• Do you have the same educational supervisor for the whole rotation or one for each placement?

• If just this placement, who has the overview?

• Are formal meetings (about an hour each) held: - three times in each placement or - at least twice a year for GP STs

• Are the meetings structured according to College guidelines/portfolio and is a record made?

• Is your portfolio reviewed regularly?

• Do you have a written learning plan as a result of the meetings?

• Is careers advice a significant part of the process and is it recorded in your portfolio?

• Do you receive appropriate feedback from your educational supervisor on both individual events and overall progress?

7

Formal learning

• Do you receive protected formal education?

• What is the format?

• Does the programme use a variety of different methods of delivery?

• Do you have any input into the content of the programme?

• Are you able to evaluate the programme?

• If you are on-call, or taking days off, what arrangements are made for you to learn what was covered?

General professional skills

• How are you taught additional skills, such as consent, audit, significant event audit, risk management, leadership, communication, teaching, team working, presentation skills, breaking bad news, organisational or management skills.

Study leave

• Is study leave available (except for F1s)?

• Do you know and understand the Deanery guidelines?

• Do you know and understand the Trust guidelines?

• Is there an appeal process?

• Are you encouraged to study privately?

• Do you have access to ‘tasters’”? (Foundation trainees)

8

Educational resources

• Do you have access to up to date books, journals and electronic resources in the library?

• Do you have access to up to date books and clinical support information in the clinical areas?

• Do you have adequate IT access in the clinical areas?

• Are you able to access your e-portfolio to enter WPBAs in the clinical environment?

EWTD

• Have you been involved in EWTD monitoring?

Management of education and training

• Do you know who to approach in the Trust if you have a problem with your training?

• Do you know who to approach in the Trust if you have a problem related to service provision?

• Is there a junior doctors’ committee?

• Do you know who your rep on this committee is?

9

Overall

• Would you recommend your post?

• What is the best thing about it?

• What one thing would you like changed?