Paediatric Surgery ST3 Interview Question Bank

Instructor:

PrepSurg

Category:

ST3 Interview Course

Last Update:

April 13th, 2026

Ratings:

Paediatric Surgery ST3 Interview Question Bank

About Course

This Paediatric Surgery ST3 Interview Question Bank prepares candidates for the UK national selection interview. It aligns with the NHS England 2026 Person Specification and covers every key domain assessed at interview, including clinical scenarios, CARE communication, career progression, and academic performance.

Paediatric Surgery ST3 is one of the most competitive surgical training pathways in the UK. Candidates must show more than clinical knowledge. They need structured thinking, specialty-specific insight, leadership, and academic achievement. They must also perform confidently under pressure in a formal interview setting.

Our paediatric surgery st3 interview course delivers realistic interview questions, high-yield model answers, and clear frameworks. It helps you approach each station with clarity, confidence, and a strategy for achieving top marks.

How to perform in the interview room
How to talk about your specialty convincingly
How to handle clinical scenarios under pressure
How to present your portfolio and academic work
How to navigate ethics and difficult situations
How to demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and NHS awareness
How to communicate professionally and show NHS values
How to put it all together
Through the mock station module, you'll be able to practise under realistic interview conditions, identify your weak spots, and walk in on the day with a clear strategy rather than hoping for the best.

Topics of Course

Clinical Station
This station will be based on a clinical scenario. The time allocated for the Clinical station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members.

How to approach the clinical station
Neonate with bilious vomiting
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Infant with projectile non-bilious vomiting
Child with intermittent pain and red currant jelly stool
Infant with painful irreducible groin swelling
Preterm neonate with abdominal distension and pneumatosis
Newborn with imperforate anus / anorectal malformation
Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis
School-age child with right iliac fossa pain
Acute scrotum
Newborn with excessive salivation and inability to pass NG tube
Newborn with bowel outside abdomen
Jaundiced infant with pale stools
Child after bicycle accident with LUQ pain
Neonatal bowel obstruction
Adolescent girl with sudden lower abdominal pain
Term neonate with delayed meconium
Child with recurrent painless rectal bleeding and iron-deficiency anaemia
Adhesive small-bowel obstruction
Blunt pancreatic trauma

CARE (Communication) Station
This station will be based on a scenario involving communication with a patient parent/carer/guardian/next of kin regarding their care. The time allocated for the CARE (Communication) station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members and a simulated patient (actor). The CARE (Communication) station will be introduced as a pilot station during the 2026 recruitment round. Candidates will be scored for this station, but the scores will not count towards the final interview score.

Career Progression
In this station you will be interviewed about elements of your career and experience to date. The total time allocated for the Career Progression station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members

Academic Station
This station will focus on your academic experience. The time allocated for the Academic station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members. A presentation topic will be sent to you one week to interview for this domain.

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Your Instructor

PrepSurg

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Paediatric Surgery ST3 Interview Question Bank

Paediatric Surgery ST3 Interview Question Bank

About Course

What Will You Learn?

Topics of Course

Clinical Station This station will be based on a clinical scenario. The time allocated for the Clinical station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members.

How to approach the clinical station

Neonate with bilious vomiting

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Infant with projectile non-bilious vomiting

Child with intermittent pain and red currant jelly stool

Infant with painful irreducible groin swelling

Preterm neonate with abdominal distension and pneumatosis

Newborn with imperforate anus / anorectal malformation

Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis

School-age child with right iliac fossa pain

Acute scrotum

Newborn with excessive salivation and inability to pass NG tube

Newborn with bowel outside abdomen

Jaundiced infant with pale stools

Child after bicycle accident with LUQ pain

Neonatal bowel obstruction

Adolescent girl with sudden lower abdominal pain

Term neonate with delayed meconium

Child with recurrent painless rectal bleeding and iron-deficiency anaemia

Adhesive small-bowel obstruction

Blunt pancreatic trauma

How to approach this station

Breaking Bad News (Oesophageal Atresia)

Consent

Delayed Torsion – Angry Patient

Safeguarding Concerns

Post operative concern – Anastomotic Leak

DNACPR / Limitation of Care Discussion

Parent Refusing Treatment

Communicating Uncertainty

Long Term Complication – Short Bowel Syndrome

High Risk Consent – Neonatal Laparotomy

Disclosing an Error (Duty of Candour)

Language Barrier

Discharge against medical advise

Waiting list delay

Unexpected intra-operative complication

Career Progression In this station you will be interviewed about elements of your career and experience to date. The total time allocated for the Career Progression station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members

What is this station testing?

What would you do if you didn’t get ST3 this year

What differentiates you from other candidates?

Talk me through your career progression

Why paediatric surgery

What have you done to prepare for paediatric surgery

Tell me about a weakness or gap

Why not general surgery?

Why should we appoint you?

What would your colleagues say about you?

Academic Station This station will focus on your academic experience. The time allocated for the Academic station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members. A presentation topic will be sent to you one week to interview for this domain.

What is the Academic Station?

How to Critically Appraise a Paper

Critical Appraisal of a Paper – Model Answer

Interpreting an RCT

Bias & Confounding

Statistics with application

Design your own study task

Present your research / audit

Student Ratings & Reviews

Your Instructor

PrepSurg

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Clinical Station
This station will be based on a clinical scenario. The time allocated for the Clinical station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members.

Career Progression
In this station you will be interviewed about elements of your career and experience to date. The total time allocated for the Career Progression station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members

Academic Station
This station will focus on your academic experience. The time allocated for the Academic station is ten minutes. You will be assessed independently by two panel members. A presentation topic will be sent to you one week to interview for this domain.

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