Medical oncology: Registrar Interview Questions Australia

The medical oncology 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 7 November 2026

The structures these questions are marked on

  • CAMP Clinical experience, Academic work including audit, research and teaching, Management and leadership roles, Personal: who you are as a colleague and what you will find hard. For the CV walkthrough. Full guide →
  • 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.

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

    Why medical oncology, and why this unit?

    Evidence: the terms, the cases, the research, the audit. Then this unit: its subspecialty strengths, its research and its catchment, in terms that show homework.

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

    What do you know about advanced training in medical oncology, its requirements and the research project?

    The length, the core and elective years, the procedural or clinic requirements, the research project and the assessments. Two accurate sentences, then what will be hardest.

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.

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

    A patient on chemotherapy has a temperature of 38.5. What do you do?

    Febrile neutropenia until proven otherwise: antibiotics within the hour, cultures, the full assessment, and escalation if unstable.

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

    A patient with known cancer has back pain and new leg weakness. What do you do?

    Spinal cord compression: steroids, the MRI urgently, and radiotherapy or surgery decided with the team. Say why speed matters.

  3. Often askedUsually asked by the head of departmentSAFER

    A patient asks you directly whether further chemotherapy will cure them. What do you say?

    Honesty with compassion, what treatment can and cannot achieve, the patient's goals, and palliative care involved early.

  4. Often askedUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueSAFER

    A patient on immunotherapy has diarrhoea and abdominal pain. What do you do?

    Immune related colitis: the grading, steroids, the treatment held, and gastroenterology involved.

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.

  1. Often askedUsually asked by the head of departmentSYSTEM

    How should cancer care reach rural and regional patients in this district?

    Telehealth, outreach clinics, nurse led care, travel support, and the gap in outcomes for rural and Aboriginal patients.

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