Teaching and research: NHS Interview Questions for International Doctors
Why research matters, teaching you have done, and your plans for exams and career progression in the UK.
Updated 26 October 2026
How to answer
One teaching example with evidence it worked. Be honest about research. Have a credible plan for postgraduate exams and for how you will progress from this post.
Frameworks: STARR for teaching examples
- 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 →
Why is research important, and what research have you been involved in?
Because evidence changes practice and patients benefit. Then your own involvement honestly: your role, the question, what it found. If you have none, say what you have done instead and what you would like to do.
Which is more important, research or teaching? Which do you prefer?
There is no right answer; the panel wants reasoning. Say which you prefer and why, with an example, and acknowledge the other's value. Teaching changes practice sooner; research changes it further.
What teaching have you done, and how would you teach medical students here?
What you taught, to whom, how you planned it, how you knew it worked. Then how you would teach students here: on the ward, at the bedside, in small sessions. One example in depth.
What are your plans for postgraduate exams and progressing your career in the UK?
A specific plan: the exam, when you will sit it, how you will prepare alongside work, and the route it opens: a training programme or the portfolio pathway. Panels want to see that you will progress, not drift.