Consultant interviews feel unpredictable because the panel is large and the stakes are high, but the questions are not. A survey of newly appointed consultants, in which each listed what their Advisory Appointments Committee actually asked, shows the same questions recurring across specialties and trusts. This guide ranks them, says who on the panel tends to ask each, and sets out what the panel is listening for.
The panel and the format
An AAC usually has more than five members: a lay chair or non executive director, the medical director or a deputy, the clinical director, a Royal College representative, one or two consultant colleagues, and often HR, a service manager, a head of nursing or a finance director. Interviews run 45 to 60 minutes. About half include a presentation of five to ten minutes on a title set in advance, sometimes only an hour before. Questions are scored against the person specification, and each panel member asks in their own register: the college representative walks through your CV, the medical director probes governance, the lay chair asks about values and inclusion.
Asked in most interviews
Talk us through your CV, with emphasis on what makes you suitable for this post. Usually the college representative. Two to three minutes, newest first, every item earning its place by linking to the person specification. The panel has read the CV; they want the argument.
Why this trust, and why now? The clinical director. Reasons the panel can check, from the pre interview visit and the trust's own plans, and an honest answer to the "why now" in terms of your readiness.
What will you bring to this department, apart from your clinical skills? A consultant colleague. Two or three things beyond clinical competence, each with how you would deliver it in year one.
What does equality, diversity and inclusion mean to you, and what is your responsibility for it? The lay chair. This was among the most frequently reported questions. Define it in your own words, state your responsibility as a consultant, and give a real example from your practice with an outcome. The example is scored, not the definition.
Tell us about a serious incident you were involved in and what came out of it. The medical director. The incident, your part, how the patient or family were told, what the investigation found, what changed, and how the staff were supported. Candour and learning, not blamelessness.
Tell us about your teaching experience and how you would develop it here. The college representative. What you have taught, to whom, how you know it worked, then something specific for this post.
Where do you see yourself in five years? The medical director. A consultant who has built something here: a service, a training role, a governance role.
Asked in a third to a half
What is your leadership style? Give us an example. A time you had conflict with a colleague. How would you manage an underperforming consultant colleague? Describe a quality improvement project you are proud of. What do you know about the trust's strategy and values, and what did you make of the last CQC report? What are your research plans, and what would you do with research time? Our waiting list is beyond the target; how would you help reduce it without extra funding? How do you recognise stress in yourself and prevent burnout? What is your biggest weakness, or the gap in your training? How would you set up a new service?
Asked less often but worth preparing
The challenges facing a new consultant and the first three months. Integrated care systems and what they mean for a consultant. A case or feedback that changed your practice. A complaint you handled. Balancing safety, operations and finance. Psychological safety and speaking up. A patient refusing treatment. Do you have any questions for us?
What separates the top candidates
Specifics from their own practice: what they did, the outcome, what they would do differently. Homework on the trust: its strategy, its CQC report, its staff survey, what they saw on the visit. Honesty about mistakes and gaps. A measured view on contested issues. And a presentation that answers the title set rather than a general one.
Preparing
Write a two minute answer to each question in the first group and a one minute answer to each in the second, with a specific in every one. Read the trust's strategy and its last CQC report. Prepare three presentation outlines on the themes panels set: your vision for the service, its challenges, and equity of access. Then practise aloud with someone who probes once and moves on, which is how an AAC runs.