Paediatric surgery: Registrar Interview Questions Australia

The paediatric surgery 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 →
  • ETHICS Establish the facts and capacity, Think through the four pillars and name the tension, Hear the other side fairly, Identify two or three options, Choose a patient centred action with the next step, Safeguard and document. 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 →

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 staff specialist colleagueCAMP

    Why Paediatric, and what have you done to prepare for paediatric surgery SET?

    Evidence over enthusiasm: the rotations, the cases, the courses, the research and audit, each with what it taught you. Say what you understand the work of a paediatric surgeon to be, including the parts that are hard.

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

    What do you know about the Paediatric SET programme, its rotations, its examinations and what selection requires?

    The length, the rotations including rural, the examinations, the logbook and research requirements, and the selection tools and their weightings. Two accurate sentences, then what will be hardest for you.

  3. Often askedUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueCAMP

    What would you do if you were not selected this year?

    A calm plan that strengthens the next application: the unaccredited post, the research, the course, the referees. The question tests whether your commitment survives a setback.

Ethics and professionalism

For the supervisor, stay professional, use the supervisor of training and the college channels, and keep patients safe. Define cultural safety as the patient's experience and give your own actions. Know mandatory notification and open disclosure.

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

    You see a consultant shout at and belittle a junior in theatre. What do you do?

    Patient and junior safety in the moment, a calm intervention if needed, support for the junior afterwards, and the reporting route under the college's and the hospital's policies. Say what you would do if the consultant were your own supervisor.

  2. Often askedUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueETHICS

    How do you provide culturally safe surgical care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients?

    Define it as the patient's experience, then your actions: the Aboriginal liaison officer early, family in consent and decisions, flexibility about discharge and follow up closer to home. One example if you have one.

  3. Often askedUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueETHICS

    A child has injuries that do not fit the explanation given. What do you do as the surgical registrar?

    The child's safety first, a careful history and examination documented, no confrontation, the paediatric and child protection teams involved early, and the mandatory report under the state's law.

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 six week old has projectile vomiting and is dehydrated. What do you do?

    Pyloric stenosis until proven otherwise: resuscitation and correction of the electrolytes and alkalosis before any operation, the ultrasound, and pyloromyotomy when safe. Say why the operation is not an emergency.

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

    A newborn has bilious vomiting. What do you do?

    Malrotation with volvulus until proven otherwise: nil by mouth, a nasogastric tube, resuscitation, the contrast study urgently, and theatre if confirmed. Say why this is time critical.

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

    A ten year old has right iliac fossa pain for two days and is febrile. How do you assess and manage them?

    Appendicitis with possible perforation: the examination, the scoring, ultrasound if available, fluids, antibiotics and theatre. Say what you would tell the parents about the operation.

  4. Often askedUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueSAFER

    A boy has sudden severe testicular pain for three hours. What do you do?

    Torsion until proven otherwise: theatre now for exploration, no delay for imaging, consent including orchidectomy and fixation of both sides. Say how you would explain it to the family.

  5. Often askedUsually asked by the head of departmentSAFER

    A toddler has intermittent colicky pain and red currant stool. What do you do?

    Intussusception: resuscitation, the ultrasound, radiological reduction if stable, and theatre if it fails or the child is peritonitic.

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