Cardiology: Specialty Training Interview Questions Australia
The cardiology questions that sit on top of the specialty training core: clinical scenarios, the system and governance questions specific to the specialty, and presentation titles.
Updated 28 October 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 →
Motivation
Evidence of commitment over enthusiasm: rotations, courses, audits, exams sat. Know the programme's stages, exams and rural requirements. Say what you would bring to a rural site, not just that you are willing to go.
- Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the head of department
Why cardiology, and why this unit?
Evidence: the cardiology terms, the cases, the echo or cath lab time, the research, the audit, the course. Then this unit: its subspecialty strengths, its research, its teaching, its catchment, in terms that show homework.
- Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the staff specialist colleague
What do you know about advanced training in cardiology, its subspecialty streams and the research requirement?
The length, the core and the subspecialty years in intervention, electrophysiology, imaging, heart failure or devices, the procedural requirements, the research project, and the assessments. Two accurate sentences, then what will be hardest.
- Often askedUsually asked by the head of department
Cardiology has a heavy procedural learning curve and a demanding on call. How will you sustain a career in it?
A real strategy: the procedural volume and how you would build it, the on call and recovery, life outside, and what you would do if you noticed the signs of burnout.
Clinical scenario
Systematic assessment, treat what you can, escalate early and clearly even when the consultant is distant, use retrieval and telehealth where they apply, and say what you would do afterwards. A safe answer that asks for help beats a clever one that does not.
A 58 year old presents with ST elevation to a hospital two hours from a cath lab. What do you do?
Thrombolysis within the window unless contraindicated with the cardiology advisory line on the phone, aspirin and the second antiplatelet, anticoagulation, analgesia, monitoring, and the retrieval service for transfer to the cath lab afterwards. Say what would exclude thrombolysis and what you would do if it failed.
A patient on the ward has a broad complex tachycardia at 180 and a blood pressure of 85. Talk us through your management.
Unstable: synchronised cardioversion under sedation now with the anaesthetist and the MET team called. If stable, the ECG examined for VT and the drug chosen. Say what you would do if cardioversion failed and how you would explain it to the patient afterwards.
A 72 year old with known heart failure is admitted breathless, hypotensive and oliguric. What do you do?
Cardiogenic shock until proven otherwise: the cause sought, the ECG and echo, cautious fluids or none, inotropes and the coronary care or intensive care unit, the discussion about mechanical support and transfer if the hospital lacks it, and the ceiling of care conversation. Say who you would call and what you would tell the family.
A 45 year old presents with chest pain, a normal ECG and a normal first troponin and wants to go home. What do you do?
The history and the risk score, the second troponin at the right interval, the differentials including dissection and embolus, and the plan if normal with the chest pain pathway. Say what you would tell the patient about returning.
A patient with a new murmur is febrile with a history of intravenous drug use. What do you do?
Endocarditis until proven otherwise: three sets of cultures before antibiotics, the echo, the empirical antibiotics by the guideline, the infectious diseases and cardiothoracic involvement, and the complications watched for. Say when surgery would be considered and the conversation about the drug use.
A patient with atrial fibrillation and a high stroke risk refuses anticoagulation. How do you approach it?
Explore the reasons, present the risks and benefits in absolute terms, address the fear of bleeding, offer the options, respect the decision and document it, and leave the door open.
A 30 year old collapses while running and has a hypertrophied left ventricle on echo. How do you manage them?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with exertional syncope: admission, the risk assessment for sudden death, the defibrillator discussion, the genetics and family screening, the exercise advice, and the conversation with the patient.
System knowledge
Know the programme's requirements in detail. Name three current pressures and link each to your specialty. Be able to explain clinical governance and the standards most relevant to your work in a sentence each.
What are the main pressures on cardiology services in Australian public hospitals, and how do they affect this unit?
Waiting times for echo and intervention, the heart failure burden, the rural and Aboriginal cardiovascular gap, cath lab access outside the cities, workforce, and the public and private split. Link each to this unit.