Obstetrics and gynaecology: Staff Specialist Interview Questions Australia

The obstetrics and gynaecology questions that sit on top of the consultant appointments core: clinical scenarios, the system and governance questions specific to the specialty, and presentation titles.

Updated 7 November 2026

The structures these questions are marked on

  • SAFER See the patient, Assess systematically with ABCDE, Fix what you can and decide, Escalate with a clear request in SBAR or ISBAR, Review: the patient told, the handover, the documentation and what you would do if the first plan failed. Full guide →
  • The What it is in a sentence, Why it matters with a fact, What it means for this organisation and specialty, What I would do at my level and how I would measure it. Full guide →
  • STAR Situation in a sentence, Task: what you had to do, Action: what you did in the first person, Result: the outcome with a number where there is one. Add Reflection for STARR. Full guide →

Clinical scenario

Own the case plainly, describe the change and how you checked it worked. For scope of practice, be honest about your credentialing and the hospital's, do what is safe now, and tell the head of department either way. Describe your CPD as a system with one recent change in practice.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the head of departmentSAFER

    Your unit has had two serious incidents in a month. What do you do as the new consultant?

    See the unit and the people. Assess what happened in each case and what links them. Fix the immediate risk. Escalate through the governance route and support the families and the staff involved. Review: the learning, the culture, and whether the unit is safe today.

  2. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueSAFER

    A woman declines the caesarean you have recommended for fetal compromise. How do you lead the conversation?

    Capacity and information, her reasons, the risks explained plainly, the alternatives, and respect for her decision. Involve a second consultant if needed, document carefully, and plan safe care whatever she decides.

  3. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the head of departmentSAFER

    You are the consultant on call. There is a massive obstetric haemorrhage in one theatre and a cord prolapse arriving. What do you do?

    Decide where you are needed first, allocate the registrar and the second team, call in help, escalate to the anaesthetist and the haematologist, and keep the woman and partner informed. Debrief the team.

  4. Often askedUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueSAFER

    A midwife tells you a colleague dismisses her concerns about fetal monitoring. What do you do?

    Listen, check the facts, act on any immediate risk, speak to the colleague, and escalate if needed. Say how you would build a culture where midwives' concerns are heard.

  5. Often askedUsually asked by the head of departmentSAFER

    How would you reduce the caesarean rate, or should you?

    The evidence, the case mix, choice, and outcomes rather than rates as the target. Give a balanced view.

System knowledge

Know the population, the hospital's role in the district and the waiting list position. Name three national pressures and link each to this hospital. For waiting lists, name the levers a specialist has and how you would measure progress. Explain the difference between staff specialist and VMO appointments and why you want this one.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the chief executive or general managerSYSTEM

    What are the biggest challenges facing maternity services in this district?

    Rural unit sustainability, the workforce, safety culture, Aboriginal maternal and infant outcomes, and the medicolegal climate. Know the district's position and give specific actions.

  2. Often askedUsually asked by the director of medical servicesSYSTEM

    How should a regional unit work with the tertiary maternity centre?

    Transfer criteria, telehealth, shared protocols, retrieval and returning care closer to home.

Governance, safety and quality

Define governance in your own words and name your part in it. For the incident, describe your role, how it was reported, what the review found, the open disclosure conversation and what changed. For QI, give the measure and the result and whether it lasted.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the director of medical servicesSTARR

    Tell us about a maternity serious incident you were involved in and what changed.

    The incident, your part, the family told, the review, the change, and support for the staff.

  2. Often askedUsually asked by the head of departmentSTARR

    How would you run multidisciplinary training in this unit?

    Obstetric emergencies drills with midwives, anaesthetists and neonatologists, regular, in the place where care happens, with learning fed back.

Presentation

Answer the title set, use facts about this district, give a recommendation, and finish inside the time. Prepare for the questions afterwards, which are where panels separate candidates.

  • Your vision for women's health at this health service over the next five years.
  • Sustaining safe maternity care in the district's rural units.
  • Improving outcomes for Aboriginal mothers and babies in this district.

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