Main description:

Surgical training is highly competitive and requires preparation, dedication and an understanding of the principles of selection.

Your application will be evaluated across a range of competences according to objective criteria, with selection based primarily on your:

surgical portfolio - evidence of relevant experience and achievements to date, which is used to demonstrate your suitability for a role
surgical interview - a range of 'stations' designed to assess specific areas of the selection criteria

This book is a practical guide to help you build an impressive portfolio and deliver a quality performance at interview. It offers key advice on these two areas of assessment, as follows:

The surgical portfolio:

Advice on where to start and how to maximise the benefit you gain from each opportunity.
Each portfolio domain is discussed in turn, explaining the context and rationale and providing a guide to maximising your performance in each area.
Example opportunities are provided for you to pursue to help to adapt your experience to the specific assessment criteria.

The surgical interview:

Understand the rationale behind the questioning to help you tailor your answers to maximise scoring.
Answer templates with key guidance to help you provide effective answers based on your portfolio experiences.
Guidance on contemporary surgical topics to help you with discussion and debate.

Contents:

Preface

Acknowledgements

How to use this book

Section 1: Introduction

Ch 1: A career in surgery

1.1: Direct clinical care

1.2: Supporting professional activities

1.3: Additional NHS responsibilities

Ch 2: Training outline and requirements for progression

2.1: Training structure

2.2: Requirements for progression

Section 2: The surgical portfolio

Ch 3: Portfolio presentation and structure

3.1: Table of contents

3.2: Structure

Ch 4: Portfolio maintenance and the surgical logbook

4.1: General principles

4.2: Evidence required

4.3: Surgical logbook

Ch 5: Creating good opportunities and maximising yield

5.1: Creating good opportunities

5.2: Maximising yield

Ch 6: Portfolio domains

6.1: Using this chapter

6.2: Research

6.3: Teaching and education

6.4: Quality improvement and clinical audit

6.5: Leadership and management

6.6: Academic achievement and higher degrees

6.7: Commitment to specialty

Section 3: The surgical interview

Ch 7: General interview advice

7.1: Preparation

7.2: Interview day

Ch 8: Understanding the question

8.1: Closed questions about professional qualities

8.2: Open questions

8.3: Ethics and professionalism

8.4: Clinical scenarios

8.5: Specific knowledge

Ch 9: Characteristics assessed at interview - 'buzzwords'

Ch 10: Professional qualities

10.1: How to answer questions about professional qualities

10.2: Research

10.3: Teaching and education

10.4: Quality improvement and clinical audit

10.5: Leadership and management

10.6: Communication

10.7: Teamwork

10.8: Working under pressure

10.9: Probity

10.10: Empathy and compassion

Ch 11: Open questions

11.1: How to answer open questions

11.2: Why surgery?

11.3: Why this specialty?

11.4: Why this region's programme?

11.5: Tell me about yourself

11.6: What are your weaknesses?

Ch 12: Ethics and professionalism

12.1: How to answer ethics and professionalism questions

12.2: Common themes

12.3: Practice questions

Ch 13: Clinical scenarios

13.1: Purpose of this chapter

13.2: How to answer clinical questions

13.3: General surgery

13.4: Trauma and orthopaedic surgery

13.5: Vascular and cardiothoracic surgery

13.6: Neurosurgery

13.7: Plastic surgery

13.8: Urology

13.9: Ear, nose and throat surgery

13.10: Perioperative care

13.11: Advanced trauma life support (ATLS)

13.12: Managing a theatre list

Ch 14: Knowledge-based interview stations

14.1: Apprenticeship

14.2: Leadership

14.3: Scholarship