Ace the Portfolio Interview Station: A Guide to Common Questions

The portfolio station is the quintessential interview question for any UK clinical job. Performing at your best to score the highest in the portfolio interview station is guaranteed with preparation. While some basic questions are common across all portfolio stations, the key to success lies in crafting responses that reflect your unique personality and experiences. This is your opportunity to showcase the full scope of your accomplishments and demonstrate what you distinctively have to offer.

Let’s review 3 of the most common questions in this station, with examples of how you can frame your responses.

Questions:

1. Is there anything that you have continued to develop personally or in your portfolio since the application that you would like to tell us about?
2. Alternatively: Is there anything that you have added to your portfolio since the application that you would like to tell us about?
3. What else in your portfolio exemplifies your commitment and suitability to a career in surgery?
4. What are you most proud of in your portfolio and why?

Response:

Panellist:

Hi, can you confirm your name please?

Candidate:

Hello, yes, my name is JW.

Panellist:

Hi JW, my name is LT, I’m an upper GI surgeon in Manchester. I’ve got TJ with me, he’s an upper GI surgeon in Essex.

Candidate:

Okay, nice to meet you.

Panellist:

So, JW, is there anything that you have continued to develop personally or in your portfolio since your application that you would like to tell us about?

Candidate:

Yes, thank you for first inviting me to this interview.

I did my application when I was working outside of the UK, and I have now moved to the UK. I started working in the Emergency General Surgery Department at the Royal Hospital in Liverpool, which has been a good introduction to the NHS system, understanding the different expectations here, as well as how the system works. This has been very useful learning.

Additionally, I started a quality improvement project to improve the use of WHO checklists in the hospital where I was previously working. I formed a team with some other junior doctors, and I left them to continue the project, and we submitted the project for presentation at an International Surgical Conference, and it got accepted and it’s being presented this April.

Panellist:

Okay, so we move to the second question.

So, what is in your portfolio can exemplify your commitment and suitability to get this career in surgery?

Candidate:

Okay, I think what exemplifies me is that I have a balanced portfolio from clinical to academics and management.

I’ve been able to take part in several academic endeavours. I graduated with an MSc in Surgical Sciences last year with a distinction. All this while I was working both in management and less-than full time clinical practice. I maintained clinical practice part-time because I took a Hospital Clinical Management role to help improve clinical service delivery to patients, but I was still keen to finish my surgical training. So I continued working as a less than full-time registrar, and the reason that I actually moved or chose to come to the UK is because I wanted to get better quality of clinical experience. We don’t do much laparoscopic and minimal access surgery, in my country and I want to learn more of this.

I have been able to balance both clinical, academics, management, and leadership. In terms of leadership, I’m also involved at the national level in the Medical Association.

Panellist interrupts:

Okay, if you go through your logbook, can you just let us know about your logbook, how it demonstrates your technical skills?

Candidate:

Okay, in my logbook, I’ve been able to perform over 400 procedures.

Most of these procedures have been open procedures, which include over 50 appendicectomies, over 40 herniorrhaphies,  and over 30 laparotomies. I think the gap that I have in my surgical procedures is that most of my surgical experience has been from open procedures, and I would like to learn more laparoscopy.

However, since I came to the UK, I took the initiative to get a laparoscopy training box, which I have at home and use for daily practice. I’ve also registered for the basic laparoscopic course, which I should be taking in a couple of months.

Panellist interrupts:

Okay, and have you been involved in any important audits or QIP?

Candidate:

Yes, I’ve been involved in several audits.

I think one of my landmark audits or quality improvement project that I’d like to mention was what introduced me to quality improvement. I did this about 2 years back. At that time, we had an issue with a long waiting time when it comes to theatre bookings, so we were having a lot of complaints, and what drew my attention and actually touched me on an emotional level was a child who had waited until past being five years old for them to have repair of undescended testis. So, what I did is I was set up the project and a team. We noted that our theatre was underutilised during the days of a surgical elective list. This was because we had patients underprepared, leading to late theatre starting time. Therefore, this led to cancellations, which were constantly carried forward.

We came up with a project to try and improve the utilization of theatre during the theatre day, and some of the interventions that we did included having the registrar as well as the intern, who’s equivalent of our FY1, review the patients booked the day before the surgery. So the patient would be reviewed by two doctors independently to ensure that they are appropriately prepared. As well, on the day of the surgery, we had the surgeon come in 30 minutes earlier, and lastly, we added a holding area in the theatre so that the patients wouldn’t need to be called all the way from  the ward to come into theatre for surgery. This helped improve the number of cases we were doing. We went up from an average of three to about six in a day.

We had sustained improvement across six months. However, we had a new challenge. We had a nationwide strike, industrial action by the doctors and the nurses. After that, the staffing numbers in the hospital reduced, and eventually we went back to square one. What this taught me as well is understanding healthcare and quality improvement from a system perspective, and that quality improvement as well includes, amongst other factors, having motivated staff.

Panellist:

Okay, and how is your contribution to education and training to healthcare workers?

Candidate:

Yes, I think some of the things that I’ve been able to do in terms of training is I am a volunteer trainer for primary trauma care, which is an equivalent or a substitute to advanced trauma care that was developed for low-income settings by the Royal Colleges of Surgery in collaboration with Oxford University. This primary trauma care is a two-day training on trauma care that is done only on volunteer basis and is a free course. I’ve been a volunteer for that for about the past five years.

In addition, I was a clinical instructor for the equivalent of a physician assistants. I did work-based trainings as well as I clinical assessments for them. Additionally, last year, I helped develop a curriculum for basic surgical skills for medical students, which we were able to do in December last year.

I have also been involved in setting up a continuous medical education program in my hospital. So this involves weekly teachings on different topics of interest, of which attendees get some points at the end of each of those sessions.

Panellist:

And have you demonstrated any leadership ability, either in medicine or outside medicine?

Candidate:

In terms of leadership, I think I have been able to perform in several roles.

As I mentioned, one of the things I did earlier on I was involved in Hospital management. This involved leading a team of 10 direct reports and well as over 30 others indirectly. In addition to that, I’m a member of the National Medical Association, and I joined one of the committees that is geared towards creating health access. It’s called the Healthcare Management Committee.

So that committee basically intersects with policy in terms of universal healthcare coverage. Additionally, I am a committee member in the insurance liaison group of the National Hospital Association, which interacts with insurance partners in order to make healthcare accessible and more affordable to people.

Additionally, I am a volunteer advisor for a grassroots community group in one of the low-income communities. The grassroots group basically uses sports, football, to encourage youths to stay away from drugs and the streets.

Panellist interrupts:

JW, can I just stop you there? Which one of those things are you most proud of on your portfolio? What would you say is your most proud moment out of all those things that you’ve done?

Candidate:

I think the most proud moment was when I took up a management role in the hospital.

I was able to work directly with a dedicated team. I learnt a lot about the challenges of leadership and management. I was also mentored by a very experienced supervisor.

So I’m most proud of the fact that I would be able take what I have learnt in the UK to go back and give back to that hospital after my training.

Panellist:

That’s fine, JW. Thank you so much.

Score Sheet:

Detailed Feedback and Learning Points:

Question 1:

Is there anything that you have continued to develop personally or in your portfolio since the application that you would like to tell us about?

Strengths:

• Relevance of Updates: The candidate effectively highlighted their recent move to the UK and experience working in the NHS, which is directly relevant to the role. They also discussed the Quality Improvement (QI) project on WHO checklists, which demonstrates ongoing professional development and a commitment to improving patient safety.
• International Conference Presentation: Mentioning the acceptance of the QI project for presentation at an international conference is a strong point, showing the candidate’s ability to produce high quality work and disseminate it to peers in an international platform.

Weaknesses:

• Detailing the Learning Experience: The candidate could have expanded more on what they specifically learned from the transition to the UK and how these new insights would benefit their future practice.
• Project Follow-up: While the candidate mentions leaving the team to continue the project, they could have provided more information on the project’s current status or their involvement in guiding it post-move. This would demonstrate sustained commitment and the ability to manage projects remotely.

Learning Points:

• When discussing new developments, it’s essential to connect these experiences back to how they enhance your skills and suitability for the role. Providing specific examples of learning outcomes and future applications would create a stronger impact.
• Emphasizing continuous engagement with ongoing projects, even after moving to a new location, can demonstrate leadership and dedication.

Question 2:

What else in your portfolio exemplifies your commitment and suitability to a career in surgery?

Strengths:

• Balanced Portfolio: The candidate effectively communicated their balanced portfolio, highlighting clinical experience, academic achievements, and management roles. This demonstrates a well-rounded candidate who is not only clinically capable but also academically inclined and management-oriented.
• Leadership and Initiative: The candidate’s involvement in clinical management and national leadership roles within the Medical Association speaks to their leadership potential and commitment to advancing Healthcare.
• Clear Career Motivation: The explanation of why the candidate moved to the UK—specifically to gain more experience in laparoscopic surgery—shows clear motivation for professional growth and improvement in surgical skills.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of Specific Examples: While the candidate mentions their balanced portfolio, more specific examples of how these experiences have directly contributed to their surgical skills or decision-making would strengthen the response. For example, detailing a specific management challenge and how it was overcome could provide insight into their problem-solving abilities.
• Logbook Overview: The logbook overview is somewhat rushed and focuses primarily on the number of procedures rather than the complexity or the candidate’s progression in surgical skills. More emphasis on the learning curve or specific challenges faced in these procedures could add depth to the response.

Learning Points:

• In discussing portfolio items, it’s important to not just list achievements but to contextualize them within your development as a surgeon. Explaining the impact of these experiences on your surgical practice or career goals can create a more compelling narrative.
• When discussing a logbook, it’s beneficial to focus on both quantity and quality, such as the complexity of cases handled or specific competencies gained.

Question 3: What are you most proud of in your portfolio and why?

Strengths:

• Pride in Leadership: The candidate chose a significant leadership role as their proudest moment, which aligns well with the qualities desirable in a surgical career. They demonstrated a clear connection between this experience and their long-term career goals, particularly their desire to contribute to teaching and developing others after training.
• Mentorship Recognition: The candidate’s mention of being mentored by an experienced supervisor adds credibility to their leadership achievements and shows an understanding of the importance of guidance in professional growth.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of Specific Outcomes: While the candidate mentions learning about leadership challenges, the response would be stronger with specific examples of what they accomplished in this role, such as key decisions made or measurable improvements in the hospital’s performance.
• Underdeveloped Reflection: The candidate could have provided a more reflective answer by discussing what specific leadership qualities they developed during this experience and how these qualities will contribute to their future career.

Learning Points:

• When discussing what you’re most proud of, it’s crucial to provide a detailed narrative that includes not just the achievement but also the impact it had on your development and the organisation. Reflecting on the experience and tying it to future goals can add depth to your answer.
• Specific outcomes or results from leadership roles provide tangible evidence of effectiveness and can make the response more persuasive.

Mastering the portfolio interview station is essential for securing a UK clinical job, and success lies in preparation and effective communication. By thoughtfully crafting responses that showcase your unique experiences and accomplishments, you can distinguish yourself as a candidate. Highlight your ongoing development, demonstrate your balanced and well-rounded portfolio, and clearly articulate what you are most proud of and why. Remember, it’s not just about listing achievements—it’s about contextualizing them within your career journey, reflecting on their impact, and tying them to your future aspirations. This is your moment to shine, so make every response count.

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