Interview Prep 2

Question 2

(Med Ed interview) Give me a 30-second opening summary about myself for this interview.

Answer 2

• Postgraduate Medical Education Fellows at MMH
• Organised & planned FY1 & FY2 teaching programmes, supported Foundation Simulation, and personal educational support for F1s & F2s.
• Also been heavily involved with the UG programme
• Covering multiple sessions myself across all undergrad years (KMMS Y3, Y4, Y5 & GKT Y4 & Y5)
• What I’ve enjoyed most is combining practical coordination & delivery of formal teaching sessions with direct, personal trainee support
• Which has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my medical career

• I’m applying for a second year because I feel I can offer:
• Immediate continuity, established relationships, immediate value, and
• Build on momentum to deliver a more structured, focused & impactful education programme.
• Combinding educational/ID projects with genuine, invested personal support for trainees

Question 3

(Med Ed interview) Why do I want to stay on for a second year?

Answer 3

Genuiely invested & commitment to postgraduate medical education
- this year confirmed how much I care about postgraduate medical education
- especially practical support for Foundation doctors
- Taking teaching & support from the office/ed centre out onto the wards

What I’ve valued this year
- Delivering a reg/consultant led FY1/FY2 programme with interactive active recall sessions
- Being approachable for trainees outside formal teaching to empower & support them

Thanks to Year 1
- Stronger understanding of local systems
- Clearer insight into trainee needs
- Thanks to understanding & refelcting on their feedback

Use this understanding & momentum to build in Year 2
- Starting earlier with a more robust MRCP/MSRA support + potentially incorporting it into SDT
- Implement an FY1 on-call support programme incorporating it into the F1 teaching timetable
- Incorporate personal ID projects with foundation teaching

What I uniquely bring
- Immediate continuity, value & usefulness
- Established relationships & contacts that I have developed in year 1
- with genuine, invested passion for providing personal support for trainees
- Philosophy: giving more, than I take in this job

Closing line
- a second year would let me turn this year’s foundation into something more focused, supportive, and sustainable

Question 4

(Med Ed interview) What is my strongest concise answer to ‘What have you done this year?’

Answer 4

1. Programme delivery
- Organise, plan & deliver the entire FY1 & FY2 teaching timetable
- 29 F1 & 29 F2 sessions each 2 hrs
- According to the Foundation Programme curriculum, high-yield clinical topics
- Adjusting & adapting according to trainee feedback

2. Improving teaching quality
- Broadened MDT & GP input
- Turning passive, diadatic teaching sessions into active learning sessions
- Used interactive exam-related quizzes / active recall / high-yield handouts
- Simulation workshops - F1 & F2 cardiac arrests simulation workshops
- Clinical skills workshops - F1 & F1 U/S cannulation skills sessions
- Careers planning workshops - with portfolio planning from core trainees for both F1s & F2s

3. Trainee support
- 1:1 help with portfolios, applications, exam planning, career questions
- Ward drop in sessions to make trainees feel supported & empowered on the wards

4. Educational / QI / ID-Micro projects
- Micro F1 teaching audit - presented at MMH audit meeting on 17/03
- MSRA/MRCP revision QIP - data collecting post intervention
- AMS project - discussed with Dr Kusal and to be written up as an audit, KAP study and Methodology study
- Possible HIV inpatient guidelines project with Dr Sivaraj - comparing in-pt. HIV OI Mx against BHIVA guidelines

Question 5

(Med Ed interview) How have I improved teaching quality rather than just maintained it?

Answer 5

• Increased MDT involvement
• Brought in more pharmacy, specialist nurses, GP input
• Developed more interactive teaching methods
• Used quiz-based revision, active recall, and high-yield handouts
• Focused on making teaching practical, accessible, and useful for trainees

Question 6

(Med Ed interview) How have I supported trainees beyond formal teaching?

Answer 6

• Supported induction
• Offered 1:1 informal guidance
• Helped with portfolios, applications, exam planning, career direction
• Tried to be an approachable point of support
• Focused on trainee-centred support, not just scheduled sessions

Question 7

(Med Ed interview) What is the headline for my MSRA/MRCP work?

Answer 7

I’ve been incorporating MSRA/MRCP-style preparation into F2 teaching, with the aim of making support more relevant to trainee progression. I’ve also started an MSRA prep QIP, with pre-teaching data already collected and post-teaching / historical comparison work still to come. In Year 2, I’d like to make this more structured and evaluate it more formally.

Question 8

(Med Ed interview) What is the headline for my FY1 on-call support work?

Answer 8

I’ve been drafting practical FY1 on-call support resources focused on escalation pathways, how to hand over, and what information to hand over. The aim is to support confidence and safe practice in the realities of on-call work, and in a second year I’d like to turn this into a clearer resource / teaching package.

Question 9

(Med Ed interview) What concrete points can I mention about the Micro F1 teaching audit?

Answer 9

• Focused on antibiotic prescribing knowledge among Foundation doctors
• Educational need identified
• Teaching intervention developed
• Evaluation built in
• Planned local presentation at the 17 March 2026 meeting
• FIDSSA and BSAC abstract drafts planned to go to Dr Darshana first for review

Question 10

(Med Ed interview) How do I answer ‘Why should we appoint you?’

Answer 10

I think I offer a combination of continuity, practical experience, and trainee-centred insight. Because I’m already in the role, I understand the MMH educational environment, the Foundation programme, many of the trainees, and the behind-the-scenes work needed to keep things running well. I’ve built good relationships across departments, and I’m well placed to turn this year’s momentum into a stronger, more structured second year with immediate value from day one.

Question 11

(Med Ed interview) What are my top 3 Year 2 priorities?

Answer 11

1. Structured MRCP/MSRA support
- Build on current F2 teaching
- Make it more targeted and evaluated

2. FY1 on-call support package
- Escalation pathways
- Handover
- Practical confidence-building

3. Stronger educational QI / scholarship
- Build on Micro / AMS work
- Move from intervention to evaluation to dissemination

Question 12

(Med Ed interview) What is my strongest answer to ‘What do you have planned for next year?’

Answer 12

If appointed for a second year, I’d particularly like to develop three areas: first, a more structured MRCP/MSRA support stream for trainees; second, a practical FY1 on-call support package focused on escalation and handover; and third, a stronger approach to educational QI and evaluation, building on current work in microbiology teaching and antimicrobial stewardship. More broadly, I’d want to continue supporting induction, earlier portfolio / career guidance, and a trainee-centred programme that is practical, approachable, and useful.

Question 13

(Med Ed interview) How do I support struggling trainees?

Answer 13

I start by creating a safe, non-judgemental space and trying to understand what the real issue is — confidence, knowledge gaps, workload, wellbeing, organisation, or a mix. I then break it down into something practical, whether that means targeted educational support, signposting, or helping them structure next steps. If the concern is beyond what I should manage myself, I escalate appropriately while maintaining professionalism and confidentiality. I want trainees to feel heard, supported, and not left struggling in isolation.

Question 14

(Med Ed interview) What is my answer to ‘What makes you different / what can you personally offer?’

Answer 14

I think one of my strengths is that I combine practical programme delivery with genuine trainee-centred support. I’m happy doing the behind-the-scenes coordination work, but I also care a lot about whether trainees actually feel helped. I’ve also increasingly tried to think in terms of evaluation and improvement rather than just activity, and I’d hope that mix of continuity, approachability, and structured development is what I can offer.

Question 15

(Med Ed interview) What is my 1-line summary for the whole interview?

Answer 15

• I’d bring immediate continuity & usefulness
• Through established relationships - both on postgraduate & undergraduate side
• Realistic plan to turn this year’s momentum
• Into a stronger, more focused & structured 2nd year.
• Combined with educational projects + invested, personal approach to trainee support