WHAT DO YOU NEED TO EXCEL IN YOUR MEDICAL JOB SEARCH?

YOUR CV

It all starts with crafting the perfect CV. Generally speaking, all medical CVs include 7 key areas.

• Personal information – Include your name, contact information and abbreviated qualifications.
• Career objectives – Include a personal statement that clearly states where you want to go in your medical career and how. Keep it short and to the point.
• Education – Where did you attend Uni? What did you specialise in?
• Relevant experience – Explain your current and past positions in detail. What were your responsibilities?
• Specialist skills and procedures – It is important to list the specialist skills that you are comfortable with performing independently as well as those which you wish to be observed. Make sure to also include what recent medical technology you are confident using.
• Continued medical education – It is vital to showcase your commitment to continued professional development and highlight what medical courses, as well as specialist training workshops you may have attended.
• Research and publications – If relevant, you should share your research and publications as well as any awards you have achieved in your field. What cases have you collaborated on?
• References – You should have at least three. Make sure to include full contact details and include 1 behavioural and 2 clinical references.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

That stellar CV has landed you an interview! Now it’s time to prep. Practicing your responses will help you respond with confidence and relative ease.

Don’t be afraid to come with some notes in hand to remind you of the key points you want to get across.

So – what are some of the questions you can expect in an interview for a medical position? Let’s take a look.

1. Why did you choose to become a doctor?

This question is a staple in nearly all medical interviews. While it doesn’t pertain directly to your skills, it does give some insight about your passion. Working in the medical field is a serious commitment and your potential employer will want to know what sparked your interest – be ready to answer this honestly and openly.

2. What do you see as the key challenges in your field? How do you address them?

This question gives you the opportunity to display your knowledge in your specialist area of medicine while explaining how you approach your position creatively and clinically despite these challenges. You can demonstrate your initiative with concrete examples and have a thoughtful conversation about wider industry solutions.

3. What are your standout skills as a physician?

Every doctor has something that makes them stand out from the crowd. Are you known for your calm and composed bedside manner? Do you excel at building relationships with your patients? Make sure you come to the interview with some defining traits in mind.

4. How do you handle high-pressure environments?

It’s no secret that the medical world can be stressful at times. Most employers will want to hear how you handle instances of intense pressure, conflicting priorities, resource constraints, duty of care and prickly personalities. Be sure to provide concrete examples of how you have navigated these scenarios in the past.

5. Role Play Clinical Scenarios – What are key areas of ‘good medical practice’ you are likely to be assessed for?

While this isn’t exactly a singular question, it is something critical to keep in mind for the interview process. Almost every doctor’s interview will present interviewees with high pressure role play clinical scenarios. They are designed to assess your specialist knowledge, communication skills and all-round ‘good medical practice’ standards when managing a patient, or dealing with a conflict situation.

The panel may focus on assessing your physical examinations skills, clinical judgement, communication, procedural skills and professionalism.

Need some help? Careers Connections has you covered

Here at Careers Connections we are committed to helping our clients through every step of the medical recruitment process. Each of our team members has years of recruitment experience in their Medical Recruitment Specialty to ensure you not only land the interview but score the perfect job for you.

Excited to get started? We are too. Reach out to one of our team members today.