Guide to Describe Clinical Audits and Quality Improvement Projects In Your Interview !
This is almost always going to be first question in your interview. Be it in the NHS or HSE. It can be framed in others words; Tell me about yourself or Introduce yourself briefly. The purpose remains the same. The interviewers are not looking for you to literally go through your CV from the first page to the last. They assess the candidates on how they present themselves in context of the specific job/position.
Should I Use a Structured Approach or Not?
- Using a structured approach for your answer helps you keep track of what you are saying and what you are going to say next.
- Your answer will be organized i.e., different points are arranged in a logical manner.
- This also makes sure that you do not miss important points or otherwise repeat the same information twice.
General Points for Creating Your Response
- Keep the following points in mind when crafting a responce for this question:
- DO NOT LITERALLY TAKE THEM THROUGH YOUR CV. This is the most important thing to bear in mind.
- The answer to this question should not be too lengthy. As a necessary evil, you will have to compromise on some points and experience.
- Focus on relevant points, especially those that align with the post and speciality.
- Emphasize on clinical aspects more, explaining them in more detail, focusing on responsibilities, patient care, and skills.
- Mention any specific skills or knowledge gained that are directly related to the role you’re interviewing for.
- Show how your previous experience makes you a good fit for the current role.
- If you have achieved anything extra-ordinary, mention it clearly but briefly.
- If you have non-clinical or unrelated experience on your CV, do not just skip it rather mention it quickly without going into much details.
- You will have to craft your answer more than once, each time you will notice something redundant and unecessary. Do not worry, keep perfecting your response.
- You should decide which point or experience is absolute necessary for you to mention. Give that priority and summarize the other points in short sentences.
1. Introduction
Simply introduce yourself to the panel with a smiling, happy and confident face. This includes:
- Full Name
- Year and place of graduation
This might seem unecessary but this is how you should start your response before moving on to the CAMP structure.
Example:
My name is David. I am an internation medical graduate from spain. I graduated in 2021 from University of Barcelona, and then completed my foundation training in 2023.
CAMP Structure
- Clinical
- Academic
- Management
- Personal
Most CVs are written and built around this structure by default, so if you answer according to this structure it would make it easer for the interviewers to relate this to your CV and application. Your answer should be easy to listen and not make the listener sleepy.
2. Clinical
These must be included:
- Clinical Experience (Non Training & Training)
- Clinical Attachments or Observerships
- Duties & Responsibilities
- Skills / Interventions Learned
You can also include:
- Your motivation to join this post or speciality
- Why you like your recent/current job?
- Any special acheivement or procedure/surgery
Creating your answer
1. After introducing yourself, start by briefly talking about your most recent or current job, this can include:
- Your job title (Medical Officer, Junior Doctor, Trainee, or Intern)
- What your main duties and responsibilities were (e.g., treating patients, managing the ward, assisting in surgeries)
- Clinical skills and interventions that you have learned or practiced during this job
- Why you liked working there (keep this patient-focused)
2. Out of your previous jobs and experiences, mention the most one after this. If you have a clinical attachement in the same speciality, make sure you mention it here.
3. Do not get into minute details of your old jobs, i.e., hospital names, dates etc. For example, if you have worked in medicine for 15 months, but at different hospital or clinics, you can summarize this as ‘Before my current job, I have worked in general medicine setups for 15 months”
3. Academic
These must be included:
- Research / Papers
- Teaching Experience, qualification, or courses
- Post Graduate Qualifications (e.g., MRCP/MRCS, FCPS) and Certifications
Creating your answer
1. Research / Papers:
- Paper title and topic
- Your role in the process
2. Teaching experience, qualification, or courses
- Briefly explain your teaching experience, i.e., since when, what, and who have you been teaching.
- Remember that you don’t have to go into much detail here, this can be a separate question afterwards. Although you should give highlight this in your answer as this will intrigue the interviewer to probe with follow-up questions.
3. Post Graduate Qualifications and Certifications
- Any completed qualifications or preparing for them
- Advanced and Basic courses for the speciality and the job. Read the person specification and highlight your certifications that are essential and desirable for this post.
4. Management
These must be included:
Description of Audit
Management experience
Creating your answer
1. Description of Audit Experience
- Audit title and topic
- Your role in the process
2. Management experience
- Note: This is not a compulsory part. If you do not have original experience in this regard, do not create fake one, as you can be questioned on this and your answers might then not be that fluent and organized.
- This can include any role you played in department management, rota scheduling, implemetning any change in practice or protocol, conducting exams for students etc.
5. Personal
These must be included:
- Personal strengths and attributes
- Hobbies
Creating your answer
- Briefly explain your hobby or any personal strength that you think is relatable to the job.
- You can mention your leadership and teamworking capabilities here in this section.
- Your tone should indicate that you are about to end your answer.
Example Answer
"Good morning, my name is David, and I am an International Medical Graduate from Spain. I graduated in 2021 from the University of Barcelona and completed my foundation training in 2023.
In my most recent position, I am working as a junior doctor at [Hospital Name], where I am working in the medicine and in acute medical units. My main duties include assessing patients, developing treatment plans, and ensuring safe handovers. I am also responsible for performing various procedures such as venipuncture, catheterization, patient clerking, and discharge planning.
I have gained extensive experience working with a wide range of patients, from routine cases to complex ones requiring multidisciplinary input. One thing I truly enjoy about clinical medicine is the close communication with patients, ensuring they feel informed and supported throughout their treatment.
Before this, I worked in emergency medicine for 06 months. I have also undertaken a clinical attachment in internal medicine, which helped me develop a deeper understanding of this specialty and also of NHS systems.
In terms of research, I recently co-authored a paper on the management of chronic kidney disease, where I contributed by collecting data and performing analysis. Regarding teaching, I have been involved in training medical students during ward rounds and clinical skills sessions for the past year. I truly enjoy the teaching aspect of my role, as it allows me to help the next generation of doctors develop their clinical skills and confidence.
Additionally, I am currently preparing for my MRCP exams, as I believe continuous learning is crucial to my growth as a clinician. I have also completed courses in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS), which align with the requirements for this role.
I have participated in an audit focused on improving the hospital’s protocol for managing sepsis in the emergency department. My role included gathering data, analyzing outcomes, and presenting our findings to the department, which led to the implementation of more efficient triage protocols.
Personally, I am also very adaptable, which has been essential while working in fast-paced clinical settings. My hobbies include reading about the latest medical advancements and volunteering at local health camps, which keeps me connected with the community.
I enjoy working in a team and have been able to demonstrate leadership skills when necessary, such as taking charge during emergency situations or guiding junior staff. My hobbies and personal strengths have helped me balance work-life responsibilities while also allowing me to continuously grow as a medical professional."