Gp Entry Guide 2019

dr sarah cooper’s gp recruitment guide

Getting into GP Training 2019

Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) 11/08/2018) -1-

Contents Introduction

3

Overview of the Selection Process Stage 1 - Determination of Eligibility Stage 2 - Computer Based Test Stage 3 – 3 – Selection Centre o Stage 3 scenarios from 2015 Tips for Written Prioritisation o Tips for Simulation Exercises o Stage 4 - Allocation

4 4 4 5 6 7 8 9

The Survey How best to prepare for the SRA How best to prepare for the Selection Centre

10 11 12

Responses received East Midlands East of England Kent, Surrey & Sussex London NHS Scotland North East North West South West Thames Valley Wales Deanery Wessex West Midlands Yorkshire & the Humber

13 14 15 19 21 28 32 34 40 43 44 45 48 50

Final Word

54

• • •

•

• •

• • • • • • • • • • • • •


Introduction Thank you for downloading this free guide which I hope you will find useful. I first wrote this guide in 2009 describing my experiences of trying to get into GP traini ng. I wanted to know “how best should I prepare?” to maximise maximise my limited revision time squeezed in between busy shifts and other family commitments. Back then I was (& still am!) a sad obsessivecompulsive. I had collated lots of information f rom various sources to help me navigate the entry process which I used to create a lengthy document . Which I shared with my colleagues who then suggested I share with the rest of t he country which I did via a website created by a family friend which hasn’t changed at all! Since then time has flown and over 23,000 2 3,000 people have downloaded the guide! And I now administer a facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/GPEntry/ which you please must join! I’m sure you will have asked or wanted to ask GP trainees in the year above how they prepared or asked the same question on forums or on social media, etc. Everybody has their own experiences and in this document you will have access to the most up-to-date opinions from those in the year above across the whole country! co untry! This guide is made up entirely of feedback kindly provided by last year’s candidates. This guide, and the ones before, would not exist witho ut such feedback. Unfortunately, this year I have received less replies than before – before – perhaps perhaps my emails are ending up in the junk folder? I would urge all those reading this – this – please, please, please do not ignore my email when I contact you after stage 4 and please add my 2 email addresses [email protected] and [email protected] [email protected] to to your safe list. And whilst you are at it, I would also advise you to add the domain oriel.nhs.uk as well as so many people report missing important emails from Oriel as they end up in their junk folder. Please do it now. My husband asks me why I still bother compiling this guide. After all, I don’t get paid for doing it and it is quite time consuming. To that I would answer, I found it difficult getting a GPST1 post and some of my very capable friends failed to obtain a training post. If I could help others gain a GP training post who could savour the highs (& lows) of the 3 most wonderful years of training that I have been fortunate enough to experience then all this t his hard work would have been worth it. This non-commercial guide is still free of sponsorship or advertising and hence will be entirely entir ely objective. It its totally transparent - all the emails I received are reproduced from page 13 onwards. This guide is not meant to take the place of the excellent applicant’s guide published by the National Recruitment Office for GP Training but Training but should be seen as an adjunct. This guide is accurate at the time of writing but please note rules and regulations can change quickly so please double check with the NRO. Good Luck & God bless!


Overview of the Selection Process Entry into GP specialist training involves successfully negotiating 4 stages:

Stage 1 - Longlisting - Determination Determination of Eligibility

Applications for GP Speciality Training are made online at the National Recruitment Office (NRO) for GP Training website (http://gprecruitment.hee.nhs.uk ). The aim of the online application is to ensure that you are eligible for GP Training. There are currently c urrently 3 application rounds (2 rounds for August entry and 1 round for February entry).

Stage 2 (Speciality Recruitment Assessment) Assessment) Computer Based Test

If you meet all the eligibility criteria you will be invited by email to attend a computer based assessment. When I took Stage 2, it was a traditional pen & paper assessment held simultaneously at various centres nationwide on a Saturday to minimise disruption to the NHS. However, for the last six years, the assessment has been computer based and hel d at Pearson VUE (http://www.pearsonvue.co.uk ) test centres world wide. wide. The assessment is offered every day Mon-Sat (you can choose which day) during a week in early January, April or September. It is a case of first come first fi rst served so be sure to make your selection early before your venue of choice gets fully booked and you end up having to travel to somewhere unfamiliar. Paper 1 - Professional Dilemmas (58 questions in 110mins) There are 2 types of Professional Dilemma MCQ – MCQ – Ranking Ranking & Multiple Best Answer (MBA) A) Ranking With this type of question a scenario is presented followed by a number of possible options which need to be ranked in order from the most to least appropriate. B) Multiple Best Answer (MBA) With this type of question a scenario is presented followed by a number of possible options which you will be asked to select two or three from which together are the most appropriate response to the situation. Paper 2 - Clinical Problem Solving (97 questions in 75mins) Questions are of the Extended Matching Question (EMQ) and Single Best Answer (SBA) variety. Direct Pathway to Offers In 2016, the NRO trialled a Direct Pathway to Offers. For the trial, all applicants who received a total score of 575 (roughly top 10%) from the SRA would qualify for the new, streamlined route which meant they did not have to attend the Selection Centre. Qualifying applicants were ranked first, before those who were deemed appointable via Selection Centre, which increased their chance of receiving a training programme in their first choice location.


Stage 3 - Selection Centre Interviews

Depending on your performance in the SRA you may be asked to attend a Selection Centre most likely at your first choice deanery. It may feel depressing that some of your colleagues coll eagues have already made it through via the Direct pathway and avoided t he selection centre but don’t be too disappointed. You have done well to make it through to this stage. So congratulations. You are almost there but there is still a lot of work to do. The ratio of candidates to vacancies at Stage 3 is usually about 1.5:1 or more for some of the more competitive deaneries. I suggest you start preparing for the selection centre as soon as you can after the SRA as there isn’t much time between the 2 stages. The assessments There will be 2 types of exercises to perform – perform – a a written exercise and patient simulations (x3). Back in my day, candidates also had to perform a Group exercise where 4 candidates would discuss a significant issue under the observation of the examiners (felt like an episode of the Apprentice with 4 overzealous, overdressed 20-somethings 20-somethings trying desperately to say something to impress the deanery’s version of Karen Brady). A) Written Exercise You are given a series of tasks (the context may be primary or secondary care in the NHS) to prioritise and you have 30 minutes in total to write down what order you would prioritise priorit ise these tasks and justify why. There are also a few self-reflection questions at the end. B) Simulation Exercise There are 3 different scenarios with actors to complete - a consultation with a patient; a consultation with a relative or carer and a consultation co nsultation with a non medical colleague. A physical examination will not be necessary so please don’t attempt one! You have a total of 10 minutes to read the briefing note and to complete the encounter. The actor will play a defined, rehearsed role, which will bring out specific issues and an assessor will sit in during the exercise but will not participate in any way so just so just pretend they aren’t there. Easier said than done! Stage 3 Marking Scheme The personal skills that will be specifically assessed: 1. Empathy & Sensitivity 2. Communication Communication Skills 3. Conceptual Thinking & Problem Solving 4. Professional Integrity 5. Coping with Pressure: Pressure : These domains are marked as either: Very Good Demonstration Demonstration (Strength) Sufficient Demonstration Mixed Demonstration (Weakness) Little or No Demonstration

3 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

If you receive a “Little or No Demonstration” on any exercise you will be deemed unsuitable for GP training this year. If you receive too many “Mixed Demonstrations” again you will be deemed unsuitable for GP training this year.


Stage 3 scenarios (unedited) from 2015 entry (courtesy of Dr Roopa Chauhan – East Midlands Deanery 2015) Written Read the top: it said I had 1 hour to complete the tasks before mandatory teaching and which I HAD to attend. 1) HCA wants to talk to you about sexual assault from a doctor. 2) A nurse wants to talk to you about her daughter. You saw her daughter the night before in a&e. She has simple constipation and her pregnancy t est was negative. The nurse is worried she has an ectopic pregnancy. The daughter hasn't given you permissio n to speak to her mum. 3) A nurse wants to speak to you as all the adrenaline ampules on t he ward are 6 months out of date. He has a clinic in 20mins to attend . 4) A nurse is upset after a cardiac arrest. He feels there should have been a DNAR In place. He feels "he can't do this anymore". 5) A nurse calls you from another ward as a patient is kicking off about something and is becoming physically aggressive.

Scenarios A) Patient - has had a small variceal bleed. She wants to self discharge. She had a major previous bleed 11 months ago and the consultant has advised keeping her o vernight for observations and an endoscopy tomorrow. The issue here is that her husband has ms and is having a relapse. She doesn't want to leave him at home alone and t herefore wants to leave. I offered interim and ict but she was competent so still gave her the option if she wanted to. She was alcohol dependent but didn't get a chance to cover this B) Relative- son of the patient wants to talk to you about his dad. Dad came in with a chest infection and was treated. He then had a stroke 2 days ago and h as residual right sided weakness and slurred speech. The real problem was the son was concerned that ?chest infection was the cause of stroke, why wasn't dad out of hospital as usually he's only in for a couple of days and dad is the main carer for mum at home who is not coping. Lots to cover in not a lot of time. I explained they're not linked but could have explained what causes stroke more. I suggested interim placement and ict again! C) Colleague - nurse is concerned that another nurse "d" has made mistakes. Not washing his hands and turning up late, but has seen him giving 4 paracetamol to a pt and pt had to correct him. I had to tease out of her that she was worried and wasn't sleeping. She made a throw away comment about jo. I clarified jo was the nurse in charge. She had escalated the problem but nothing was done. On further probing; t he nurse feels that jo and d are shacking up and that's why nothing has been done. I offered help but wasn't really sure exactly where to go. I just suggested having a word with jo and d and getting the managers involved.

Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) -6-

Tips for written prioritisation (courtesy of Dr Brendan Fletcher – East of England Deanery 2012 entrant) Read: 1. GMC: Good Medical Practice a. May be good to be able to quote from it 2. BMA Communications Skills e-Learning Prioritisation: 1. Personal safety 2. Patient safety (not in monitored area with another team) 3. Patient safety (in monitored area or with another team) 4. Extended patient issues: a. Symptoms b. Dignity c. Confidentiality 5. Personal Issues Considerations: 1. Acknowledge that the personal issues may impact on patient care (e.g. worrying about a deadline) 2. Relate priorities back to the other stems 3. Use correct ranking scheme (e.g. LETTERS or NUMBERS) 4. Say what you would normally do (e.g. dictate letters immediately after a surgery) 5. There may be a need for further information and state this if you think it Options: 1. Can someone else help? (are they competent and make sure they report that they complete the task) 2. Use support services (on-call team, partners in the practice, pharmacist, receptionist) 3. Ask receptionist or practice manager to speak to patients if they are angry and waiting 4. Suggest home visits after surgery or making double -appointments for next time Reflective Bit: 1. New exercise for a doctor-in-training 2. Say what went well 3. Say what went badly 4. Give at least one specific learning point 5. Acknowledge the impact that a personal issue would have on practice


Tips for simulation exercises (courtesy of Dr Brendan Fletcher – East of England Deanery 2012 entrant) 1. Do not act 2. Create a safe environment: a. Might need to move furniture ______________ Introduction and putting the patient at ease a. Good morning. My name is Brendan Fletcher and I am one of t he doctors in______. 2. Actively listening a. Allow the patient to start and do not interrupt them 3. Relevant psychosocial information: 1.

a. b. c. d. e. f.

How is this affecting you? Is there a financial impact? Are you able to share your worries with anyone? Who do you have at home with you? Are work colleagues being supportive? Is this affecting your sleep?

In medical science there are things we can measure with tests and scans and there are things that we can measure because we ask about them. 4. 5. 6.

IDEAS: What does the patient think is going on with them? CONCERNS: What is the patient particularly concerned about and why? EXPECTATIONS : Why did they consult today? What do they hope t o get from the consultation? I am glad that you came to see me today as I can see t hat this is worrying you.

Clinical Questioning: a. Do not focus on this b. Address RED FLAGS 8. Explanation and differential diagnosis a. Do not focus on this 9. Management plan a. Offer the patient some choices b. Offer support services 10. Summarise 11. Check patient’s understanding a. Offer patient information leaflets or Patient.co.uk 12. Follow-up and review plans a. Consider further appointment with other family members 7.

Obviously, we care very deeply about the wellbeing of all the patients in the practice, but I am unable to discuss them with others, even family members who also care very deeply about them. b. Consider further double-appointment next time


STAGE 4 - Allocation

Applicants will be ranked in a single list nationally based on their performance throughout the selection process. Applicants who qualified for the Direct Pathway will be ranked first, above those who were deemed appointable via the Selection Centre. Offers are made in rank order based on this national ranking. You will be given 48 hours (exclusive of weekends) to respond to an offer and have the option to accept, decline or hold. Only one offer can be held at any one time, across all specialty applications in a round. If you fail t o respond to an offer within the 48 hour window you will be deemed to have declined the offer. Upgrades If you rank highly enough to be made an offer, this will be made to the highest ranked Training Programme preference that is available when your interview rank is reached. If this Training Programme offer is suitable for you and you do not want to be considered for any other preferences you have ranked higher, you can choose t o simply accept it. However, applicants do have the option of getting one of their higher ranked GP Training programme preferences, should they become available, by opting into upgrading. The upgrading option is available to all offers that have been held or accepted, but not where an offer has been declined. If you opt into upgrading and a higher preferenced offer becomes available, the upgrade will be automatic.

Remaining vacancies Any vacancies that are left unfilled at the end of this process will be re-advertised as another round of national recruitment.


The Survey In late April & May 2018 after the offers were sent out by the respective deaneries, I emailed these who downloaded my guide with the following simple 5 minute questionnair e: 1. What deanery did you apply to? Were you successful? 2. Your thoughts on the Application form - any pitfalls or any tips? 3. Stage 2 MCQ preparation - How did you prepare? What resources did you use and how would you rate them out of 10? 4. How did you find the Stage 2 MCQ computerised assessment? Any tips for future candidates? 5. Stage 3 preparation - How did you prepare? What resources did you use and how would you rate them out of 10? 6. How did you find the Stage 3 assessment day? Any tips for future candidates? 7. Any final thoughts (or moans!) about your recent experience of the GPST selection process?

I received 69 replies broken down by deanery as below:

All the respondents in the survey were successful.

Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) - 10 -

How best to prepare for the SRA? Resources used by last year’s candidates for the SRA:

Satisfaction Survey (Ratings out of 10)


How best to prepare for the selection centre? Resources used by last year’s candidates for the selection ce ntre:

Satisfaction Survey (Ratings out of 10)


Responses received The responses I received are shown on the subsequent remaining pages. I have simply cut and pasted the replies from the emails in their entirety – warts and all. There are plenty of spelling and grammar mistakes. Some responses were very detailed others very brief. Some questions were left blank, for example, the stage 3 parts if the candidate was a “direct entrant”. There are so many useful hints & tips I would recommend you take your time to read the rest of this document. They are shown in order of deanery by alphabetical or der and by candidate name again by alphabetical order. East Midlands East of England Kent, Surrey & Sussex London NHS Scotland North East North West South West Thames Valley Wales Deanery Wessex West Midlands Yorkshire & the Humber

P.14 P.15 P.19 P.21 P.28 P.32 P.34 P.40 P.43 P.44 P.45 P.48 P.50

The eagle-eyed amongst you will realise that unfortu nately I received no responses from candidates applying to the NIMTDA or DPMD deaneries.


EAST MIDLANDS

Onyeka Ibe Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Application process is self explanatory and simple straight forward process. I used only the MCQ bank for a period of 6weeks, while working a full time job and regular locums. I would rate it 9 out of 10. You have to be time conscious especially for the situational judgment part of the test; always look for the pattern. I used MCQ bank for stage 3, no one to practice with. Its an exam that expects a good interactive and doctor-patient relationship skill. I would rate the material 8 out of 10. Practice, practice, practice for stage 3; groups, videocalls... My deanery responses on time to emails and her really helpful. They want you. No regrets.


EAST OF ENGLAND

Ash Dave Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Oriel website and GP recruitment website, very helpful and application process was very easy. I used MCQbank 9/10 & passmedicine 7/10 (used passmedicine only for SJT). Keep practicing MCQ and especially the SJT. Used emedica 9/10 (it is very expensive but gives a very good idea of the format of the examination), also the actors used as close to real examination actors. You also find study partners in the course), mcqbank online revision (only for the videos) 9/10. Very helpful staff, the scenarios are indeed challenging so the key is keep practising. Oriel website is great. It is a very smooth process and I am pleased with the outcome.

Gracie Dowling-Mardon Application Form Generally simple, free text section not challenging. Line up your references in advance- especially if you’re currently on a year out of training, as they might be people you worked with a long long time ago! Stage 2/SRA I used Pastest question bank, I think it was about the right Preparation level and number of questions. The most useful bit is doing them under time pressure to get used to that aspect of the exam. 8/10. I also got a couple of books out of the BMA library, these were OK but not amazing, I didn’t end up using them much as its better to practice on a computer like the real exam. I also had a quick look through a book I used for finals, which was ‘complete revision notes for medical finals’ not everything in here is relevant, but its about the right level for the clinical section I think. I had all the good intentions of starting in November and doing a few questions a week until the exam… obviously in reality this didn’t happen-I did a few sporadic sessions in December, and then revised all day for the 5 days leading up to the exam in early January. Stage 2 Book early into a centre thats convenient for you , you don’t Assessment want to spend the time before the exam being stressed about travelling there. If you sat your driving theory in the UK, you may want to book into the same centre- its nice being somewhere familiar! (I sat my driving theory so many times that the centre was very familiar..!). At the centre I used (Cheltenham) they gave me ear plugs so I wasn’t disturbed at all by other people coming and going. The test itself was ok, the biggest issue is time pressure. The professional dilemmas section is very much like the SJT you probably sat before FY1- I actually had some of the exact same questions (but that still doesn’t help you know what the right answer is…!). I did manage to complete it in time though. The clinical questions were not too tricky, if you’ ve made it through foundation years, you’ll make it through this Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) - 15 -

Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

Final Thoughts

I decided after the initial application that I wanted to defer 3 months. I told them this at the appropriate time after they confirmed my allocation to the deanery. They replied saying I needed to tell them before submitting application and it was too late to do this now. 3 days later they emailed saying that they were wrong and I could defer. If you want to defer, just make sure you’ve check ed what the guidance says and stick with it. The admin team is the usual chaos we have come to know (and love?!) about anything to do with the NHS. I think I found the process in general easier than my colleagues applying for other specialties. I was so pleased to get a direct pathway offer, this really takes the stress off- so if you think you can, put in a few extra hours before the exam, it may pay off! Just keep track of the deadlines and be prepared for the usual administrative fight and you’ll be fine! Thanks so much for your help via the guide! Its so useful having something to refer to with all the information in, and some guidance from others, especially if (like me) you are having a year off so can’t chat about it with colleagues at work!

Menaka Padmanathan Application Form The application form was quite straightforward and easy enough to fill up. Probably one of the easier application forms I filled. Stage 2/SRA I prepared mainly with some reading of Oxford Handbook Preparation and also questions on Passmed. Also did some questions on Pastest via a friend's log-in. Would have done more questions. I found the questions on Pastest closer to the actually MCQ question. Pass medicine was good but the questions were much lengthier. However they had quite a lot of explanations post the questions which helped fill knowledge gaps. I would rate Pastest 8/10, Passmedicine 6/10. Stage 2 I found it relatively straightforward but found I had quite a Assessment few gaps in knowledge. A lot of the questions were things I knew in medical school but haven't revisited in a while, i.e. Paeds Orthopaedic questions, Rheumatology questions. I found that the questions for jobs I haven't done in F1/F2 were trickier naturally. I would recommend reading up on rheumatology (i.e. the antibodies etc). Stage 3 Did not do as much preparation for this. Mainly read the Preparation sample scenarios on the GP NRO website and the sample questions for the written bit. Stage 3 Selection Centre assessment was not too bad. They make Assessment you feel quite at easy and everyone is approachable and friendly. It is a bit daunting as it's pretty much like doing OSCEs again. Tips would be to just stay calm and be natural. Talk to the actors in the scenarios as you would your own patient. Stage 4 Again very straightforward. We were given an opportunity to rerank our preference after the interviews. We received Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) - 16 -

Final Thoughts

Kamil Singh Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Faye Smith Application Form

Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4

allocations in a few weeks post interview. GP NRO were quite helpful and prompt with replying to any queries regarding application.

Start to complete application form as soon as possible to give candidate maximum time to rank choices. I used passmedicine and MCQbank. Passmedicine was somewhat useful (7/10) but MCQbank was most like the actual exam (9/10). Questions were similar to MCQbank. Ensure you are aware of time restrictions and manage your time well so that you can answer all questions. Overall I did feel pushed for time somewhat during this examination. I attended Emedica course which was helpful and similar to actual examination. I then practised mock consultations with a colleague to improve technique and flow of consultation. I would rate Emedica course (9/10). Try to remain relaxed. The actors are very good. Follow your structure and don’t rush. Process online was straight forward. Thinking about choosing to upgrade offer can be difficult if you have a partner, etc. When I applied there was no facility to link application with another candidate. Overall relatively straightforward. I believe good planning and revision will help candidates to maximise their score on tests and increase their chance of getting into their ideal deanery and job rotation.

Application forms were straight forward. would be useful to clarify of the references needed HAD to be previous clinical/educational supervisors, or just consultants you had worked with. In reading the small print, I changed mine to clinical supervisors. Prepped using mcq bank. rate 8/10. good similar format. Found the assessment ok. knew what to expect. Prepped very little actually. spoke to colleagues who had experienced it. read info on gp recruitment website and your handbook. 9/10. Needed more advice on where to park and enter the football stadium at Peterborough!!!! So many entrances, and last thing you need when you’re already on edge. Well structured and run day. Tips: stay calm, the Calgery- Cambridge model for comms skills. more info on the different rounds you can apply for, I.e rounds 2 and 3 are left over jobs. More info on the money incentive for some jobs, which jobs etc. I was originally prepared to opt for job further away for money incentive. However, when faced with the jobs available in round 2, these were gone. My plans ended up changing (and probably for the best). I needed up with my top choice in the end.


Final Thoughts

Another point to end that more info on switching to go training would have been helpful. I was a cmt2. Decided to apply and switch for round 2 applications. There is very little info/ ppl to contact who k ow what’s going to regarding what will be considered for consideration to reduce the training.

Nicola van der Westhuyzen Application Form The form was simple to complete in the most part, just plugging in the information they require. The only confusion I had was regarding the box which asks if you are planning on deferring entry - it stated on the form that you could only defer for statutory reasons (such as maternity leave or illness), however this is contrary to the reality that they are happy for anyone to defer. I ticked "YES" and wrote a short explanation of my plans for F3. Better to be honest from the start as to your intentions to defer was my reasoning and it all worked out fine for me. Stage 2/SRA I used Passmedicine. I revised for 1 month before the exam, Preparation whilst working on ED so on average did about an hour a day over the month. I didn't get anywhere near completing the question bank. I found they were good questions that matched up to those asked in the exam. I would recommend it. 9/10 I used the book "Succeeding in the GP ST Stage 2 Situational Judgement Tests / Professional Dilemmas: Practice Questions for GPST / GPVTS Stage 2 Selection By (author) Nicole Corriette, By (author) Matt Green and completed that book to familiarise myself with the SJT component of the exam. 9/10. Stage 2 I found I was quite pressurised for time to complete the Assessment clinical problem solving part of the assessment. Stage 3 The day before I looked up the format of the interviews. I did Preparation one practice attempt at the written exercise the day before this was helpful to familiarise myself with this part of the assessment as it is very pressured for time. Stage 3 It was a good day. All of the interviews were purely focused Assessment on communication skills. Stage 4 I have deferred the entry by one year and this has been a very easy process. Final Thoughts


KENT, SURREY & SUSSEX

Lily Craver Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

Straight forward application process. I used both MCQ bank and Passmedicine. I stared slowly going through MCQ bank in November and making notes around the topics I was getting wrong. I then took 2 weeks off in January and went through all the questions and answers to both MCQ bank and pass medicine. I found it useful using both resources as they both covered different things that came up in the exam. Very straightforward. Keep an eye on the time and make sure you know where you need to be at half time.

Straight forward. It can take some time to here from your allocated deanery, but don’t worry they will contact you!

Final Thoughts

Victoria Margesson Application Form

Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Safia Zaffarullah Application Form

Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

I thought the application process was fairly straight forward although I was surprised how short the window for your referees to submit the reference. It was a struggle when mine was on sabbatical. I used MCQ bank and borrowed a couple of BMA library books. I did not have to attend stage 3 as was in the top 10%. I found the MCQ fairly straightforward. The questions were less complicated than expected.

I found your guide very useful and i'm sure played a big role in me getting a high mark so thank you.

I didn’t realise there was a question on our motivation for wanting to be a GP, this threw me off a little. Although I’m not sure how or if it was actually used in the selection process. Passmedicine - 7/10 Pastest - 7/10. It’s quite a long exam, but it goes very quickly. Calculate how much time you roughly have for per question in the PD and clinical scenarios part (the latter is less) before you go in to the exam. Emedica course - 10/10. (I got full marks on stage 3), Practicing scenarios with friends - 10/10, Also, practicing the writing scenarios as much as you can beforehand is very



important for two reasons - you need structured answers, and you need to be able to write within the time limit! 30 minutes is very little time to complete all the questions. There can often be a bit of waiting around. No complaints. In general a fair process. GP national recruitment office are very friendly and helpful.


LONDON

Sharon Carter Application Form

Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Harriet Cosh Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Mark Isherwood Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2

The initial application form is very easy and straight forward, just make sure you complete and submit the alternative for for foundation training if you completed FY2 training over 4 years ago. MCQ was SJT heavy so make sure you spend enough time revising this, they also put more weight on SJTs when calculating your final score. I almost ran out of time on the SJT's which was not the case when I did all the online practice questions. MCQbank had a lot of scenarios to practice which I did with a few friends. Ran quickly and smoothly, assessment was much more on communication skills, ICE etc rather than clinical knowledge. We got an email with the breakdown which was straight forward, goes through each station and the breakdown of the assessment. Process is easy enough but very long. I found communication with the London deanery very difficult and kept getting different information. They didn't have a clear timeline of when job preferences will be released and when we will get the final outcome. Otherwise a straight forward application process.

Simple to fill in. Used mcqbank.co.uk for 1 month. 9/10. More questions about A&E than expected, would have been useful to have an A&E rotation before or known so that you can revise A&E management e.g. observation time after anaphylaxis Simple. Can highlight questions and go back to them. Used mcqbank.co.uk for 1 month. 9/10. Did not find that I needed to prepare for these as they were all ethical scenarios that your current practise should guide you through. Answer the questions truthfully and empathetically . Try to fit ICE in. Expect them to be tell you late. Find out about the deferral process early on as they said to us that they cannot guarantee you the same London group if you want to defer.

Pretty straightforward and self-explanatory. As always, making sure you choose reliable referees is probably key. I used Pasmed and MCQ bank. I got full marks in the clinical section, so they obviously work. The clinical questions were straightforward. I stupidly


Assessment

allowed myself to run out of time in the situational judgement section. Should have practiced timings more. MCQ bank was invaluable. Lots of scenarios on the site and many of them with videos of candidates doing it well to learn from. 9/10. Organisers were about an hour late, with no apology or explanation. No food or water provided, so take your own if you’re likely to get hungry.

Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Lisa Linpower Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment

The fact that most regions won’t tell you what the specific jobs that you are applying for are, is incredibly frustrating. But there’s not much you can do about it.

The application form was straightforward - just fill in the boxes. You can fiddle with referees at any point. I used MCQ bank after reading the 2017 Sarah Cooper guide - and it was great. The questions were very similar to the SRA exam. The SJT stuff was particularly useful, I did loads of them, once you get a feel for what they're looking for your marks improve. Also used the GMC website. MCQ computerised assessment was fine; cold though, so wear layers. Time was just about right, I had ten minutes to spare once I'd gone back over the questions I wanted to. I did a days emedica course for stage 3. With work and children I had little time so decided to throw some money at it. It was totally worth it - an excellent course, with actors and mock exams and lots of feedback. I'd massively recommend it if you just want a quick one stop shop. I got 52/52 in my stage 3, didn't drop a single mark; I'm a good communicator anyway, but the course helped me polish things nicely, tips on what they are looking for/wanting to hear to let them tick ALL the boxes. I didn't do anything else apart from read the Sarah Cooper guide and talk to GP trainees in my hospital. Selection centre day was not very well organised, so much unnecessary hanging around. I had to travel from London to Oxford because all the London slots got booked within 8 hours of the booking opening. I'd recommend you find out what time it opens and set an alarm (they don't email/text to let you know). The stations themselves were super straight forward; colleague (HCA) who was worried about a bereaved colleague not performing well at work (concerns over alcohol) - was just mega fluffy, checked about Pt safety, offered to help them escalate to appropriate channels, checked they were okay. Relative; partner of a pt who had recovered well after an uncomplicated apendectomy who did not want his partner discharged (had an old lover who is having a hard time staying over, he'd prev had an affair with her and promised never to see her again), I just explained that we cant keep her in hospital, not good for her (HAI's) or NHS beds, offered to help him discuss with partner, asked if the ex lover needed help (was fleeing domestic violence). Patient station; in ED, had a Pt who had been discharged by my consultant with an ankle injury that was NAD. He wanted a sick note for work (that I couldn't/didn't give), turned out


Stage 4

Final Thoughts

that his daughter was dying in another country and he cant afford time off work without sick pay - also had other financial pressures; didnt give sick note, but was kind and offered referral to financial help people and to go to GP ? to see if they could help ("GP's look after a whole person, not just their ankle"). The best advice is to suspend disbelief and immerse yourself - forget its all an act and be like you would be with a patient/colleague/relative in real life (if you were a patient and kind person with plenty of time!). Allocation process was outrageously frustrating. They changed they way they allocate and we were the guinea pig year - so many things went wrong. Now you rank a LETTER [ie the letter 'N' is Homerton hospital (hackney), Queens (romford) and Chase farm (barnett)]. You are told what letter you have been allocated quite soon. Then you rank again all the jobs within all of the hospitals in your group. This is done at a regional level and is rather adhoc with excel sheets and emails into spam. I wanted to stay at my local hospital and defer entry for a year. There were not guidelines about when/how to defer, lots of people missed the deadline. They also didn't tell us that if you defer you cant then rank jobs within your allocated letter group - so you get the left over dregs of the applicants the following year that may be in a hospital miles away. I ended up withdrawing, thinking that I'd rather go through the assessments again and stay close to home (I have children) than end up in a hospital with a 2 hour commute each way. After I withdrew they contacted me to say I could likely rank my jobs next year - all deferred people are put into a regional pot and contacted after 6 months - they hadn't worked out how any of the new system would work and were clearly winging it, in London certainly. The only way I could contact a person was through a portal 8 clicks away from an obscure page I found a link to - then they replied with a do not reply email address! The SRA and assessment centre are both fairly straight forward. The SJT part is 60%; clinical paper only 40% so bear that in mind and do a lot of SJT stuff (MCQ bank and GMC website). Be yourself in the assessment centre and don't try to tick too many boxes like a robot/final year med school OSCE's. Just be a nice helpful competent person thats what they're looking for! Expect complete confusion with the ranking and allocation process until they smooth things out - I am under the impression they haven't a clue what they're doing, but are trying to get better candidates in less desirable locations.

Katherine McWhirter Application Form I don’t think so. Stage 2/SRA Passmedicine - not that similar to the question style but Preparation useful as a revision resource. Emedica question bank- less useful. Didn’t always agree with the answers and layout I found less helpful although the practice papers were good. Stage 2 I thought it was pretty fair. GMC case studies w ere useful for Assessment preparation for the sjt part. I thought the Standard of the mcq questions was about what you would expect it to be. Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) - 23 -


Arun Prakasam Application Form

Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Rank groups and then about a month later given jobs within groups to rank. Would have been useful to know the jobs within the groups when ranking groups!

Applied with Alternative certificate for Foundation competency, which was quite straightforward, but make sure you prioritize this task early so that your consultant doesn't feel rushed to sign you off. Prioritising your choice of deanery was very cumbersome. It takes some time to get used to how it works, sort of trial and error. pass medicine 8/10, mcq bank 9/10, emedica 7/10, Best of the lot was mcqbank. Use NICE guidelines and OHCM to cross-reference and make notes of new/tough points so that you could go back and revise. It is very important to revisit the mcqs for the second time which will reinforce the points you tend to forget, so allow time to revise mcqs for 2nd time. PD questions are sort of hit and miss. Having said that, MCQ bank PD questions were well detailed and reading them helped a lot. Stay calm whilst doing PD questions. A clear mind will be the one which will score high as PD questions are more pragmatic than anything else. emedica 9/10, mcqbank videos 10/10, youtube videos(relevant CSA videos, relevant aman arora videos)7/10. Make sure you watch the fantastic videos that are at the bottom of the explanatory notes in Stage 3 mcqbank questions. Those helped a lot. Practice scenarios from emedica with friends and family. My wife was my patient/relative/colleague for almost all of the 30 odd emedica scenarios. Try to record your body language with a mobile or handheld, so you can play it back and change if you make any awkward subconscious movements whilst you speak ( i was constantly biting my nails whilst listening, which was very awkward. Stopped it and my dialogues were more natural). Write down phrases to use when you get stuck, like 'i understand it is a difficult time for you...' Allow the other person to talk. Listen, listen, listen. well organised. I had to travel near to the exam center, a day prior, so that I could avoid any motor-way delays. But, that's just me. The choice is yours. But, the crux of the matter is to have a good 7-hour sleep and well-hydrated body on the day of the exam. Oriel is top notch. sometimes, important emails from Oriel would end up in the spam folder. Make sure you check your spam folder atleast on a weekly basis so that any nasty surprises are avoided. Facebook GPST groups were helpful. It was in all, a nerveracking experience but, the reward is truly enjoyable. All the best to the future GP trainees!


Catherine Scott Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment


Reena Sookun Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment

It seemed fairly straightforward; I don’t recall any issues. I spent around a week or two beforehand doing past questions whenever I had the chance. I used PassMedicine which I would rate as 10/10. There were no great surprises in the MCQs. I find the SJT style questions hard in general, and this was still the case in the final exam. The practice questions I did on PassMedicine were perhaps a little formulaic in the end, and the final exam seemed to have some real curve balls. I used the only text book in my hospital library, which I think was “Succeeding in the GPST stage 3”. I read through the relevant sections in the week before the selection centre, and did all the timed practice ranking questions following their suggested analysis method. The simulated patients/relatives were as expected and similar to OSCE scenarios I had done at medical school. Having practised the ranking questions a lot, I felt wellprepared and finished with time to spare. The key for me was understanding what the examiners were looking for, and following the same analysis method for each question. Timely and brief - I’m not sure any more would be useful. It was all fine. I applied for deferred entry right from the start as I am going on maternity leave before the end of F2. I am disappointed to hear now that HEE cannot guarantee my programme despite me clearly applying for deferment in advance. I guess it’s the same for everyone, but it feels a little unfair.

Application form straightforward from what I remember. I used pass medicine only, felt this was a bit easier than the real assessment but I did well enough to get through to the next round so it must have been sufficient. The clinical problem solving part was ok but the professional dilemmas were tricky. Practising to time is very important as you may find yourself spending too long on some of the professional dilemma type questions. I used a book a GP trainee let me borrow- it was GPST Stage 3 - Ultimate Guide to the GPST/GPVTS Selection Centre by Gail Allsopp. As I was in a busy hospital job at the time of preparing, I had to focus on specific parts of the book. I went through all the prioritisation tasks as I had been told by other GP trainees this could be the trickiest due to time constraints. With regard to the simulations, I read through all the colleague scenarios and the relative scenarios. In total, I role played about 6 scenarios properly. There isn't time to practice all the scenarios but reading through a lot of them helped pick up key themes. I ended up doing my assessment in Cambridge as I left it too late to book a London slot. The assessment centre was well organised. The simulations were reasonable. I think it's apparent they want to see how you can 'think on your feet' and 'outside the box' under pressure. They were not straightforward in determining the purpose of the


Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Aqsa Syed Application Form


Louise Taylor Application Form


consultation. Mine broadly were: 1) Patient: explaining to patient she could not have surgery for her varicose veins on the NHS but she was a divorcee who had a new partner and was worried he would think her legs were unattractive. 2) Relative: daughter who's father had a operation and she essentially needed a place to live as she had split up with her partner. She as staying at her father's place but this was too small for both him and her. She was under the impression he may not make through the operation which would mean she could stay in his flat. 3) HCA who wanted me to access notes for his father who was staying on the oncology ward where I was working. He was quite insistent about me doing this. His mother was also an alcoholic. I felt the written task was the most difficult as you need to write legibly and succinctly in a short amount of time. This is definitely the part which needs a lot of practice before hand. Can't remember the feedback-think it was a grid with a comment such as fail, clear fail, pass, clear pass for each station and the different skills they were assessing. I think clearly, if you can do well enough on the MCQs to go straight through without having to do stage 3 that saves a lot of hassle. I didn't and still got my first choice London VTS scheme so it's possible without going straight through. The simulations and written task I think are good assessing skills needed in general practice and are reasonable but do take some time and effort to prepare. I think if you are a decent communicator you will be fine with this.

No. Very straightforward. Those interested in deferring should mention on the form, otherwise possibility of request being rejected if made later. MCQBANK- didn’t used it properly. 8/10. Straightforward. Plenty of time. Time divided between sections- can’t carry time forward between sections. Emedica scenario- 6/10. Good organisation- did mine in London. In time. Competition for London is quite fierce. Every point makes the world’s difference.

The application form seemed pretty straightforward. I didn’t get e-mail notifications from Oriel so make sure you check it regularly especially around the time of booking the MSRA, selection centre and ranking jobs. MSRA sessions also book up quickly so if you have a preference about where to sit it/don’t want to travel far, book a place quickly! After accepting a job, chase up your references to complete their bit as you only have a month to have the 3 completed. Questions from MCQbank - 9/10; SJT papers from the Foundation Programme website - 10/10; Read all of the GMC



Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Odunlami Wuraola Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

guidance - 7/10 It’s very long!! Important to keep to time to make sure you answer every question as there is no negative marking. MCQbank - 10/10. Great resource, had lots of the scenarios from previous years and lots of examples so the actual thing was a lot less daunting having been through them. There are definitely the same themes that come up time and again. Day was run very well - everything explained very clearly on the day about how it would run. Simulation exercise - when 10 minutes was over a bell rang and the ‘patient’ just walked out so worth keeping an eye on the time to make sure you get a chance to say all the things you want to. Written exercise - the options to rank were very wordy! There wasn’ t much time to digest all the info, order the options and then write an explanation for the ranking, so again worth keeping an eye on the time. Fairly self explanatory but just to keep an eye on oriel as I found I didn’t get the notification emails. And following allocation, regarding ranking of jobs, I found the emails from LASE went to my spam! Thank you very much for your email and for putting together the guide - it was very helpful. I hope my feedback (below) is helpful.

Fine. I would suggest being able to update personal details e.g mobile, address just incase it changes. Pass medicine online 5/10. Do as much test questions as possible. Stage 3 Course in London. 10/10. Great. Just like doing osces from medical school.

Final Thoughts

Dartford recruitment was terrible. Put me in a lot of stress. Giving doctors jobs the retracting it should be a never event. Over capacity error should never happen.


NHS SCOTLAND

Alysha Aikman Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment


Alicia Garland Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment


Ailsa Gellan Application Form

Easy to complete. Passmedicine - 7/10. This was good for revision of general medicine and had a large question bank. However I found it wasn't particularly reflective of the questions which came up in the exam. The SJT questions were quite similar to the exam and provided clear explanations to answers. I found I was quite pushed for time for the second section (knowledge base). If I were to do it again I'd flag any questions that I couldn't make a quick decision on to come back to at the end, instead of working through them all sequentially. MCQ bank - 9/10 - The scenarios given were very similar to those that came up in the exam. Worthwhile doing a few scenarios to prepare with a friend/relative. The extended SJT questions were also very useful, particularly the example answers and feedback on those answers. However, no personal feedback is immediately available, although there is an option to send in videos of consultations if you would like this. This takes a few hours due to the admin involved (longer than you'd expect!) - quite a few people were caught out by booking transport earlier than the finishing time. The request to bring a photocopy of the front cover of your passport is genuine - I thought this was a mistake! Candidates tended to be wearing work clothes much like you would on a ward or for clinic. Fairly straightforward.

Its much more straightforward than bbt or cmt. Online question bank. Passmedicine 8/10. Started 2 weeks before as i didnt realise this was a thing before that date. Not sure it helped me. I passed but the questions were bizzare on the day. Its crazy. Pick the most appropriate option from a list of things which are awful. Practice banks probably the only way to prep to learn what theyre looking for. Has nothing yo do with your actual clinical competence. Practice with friends. Stay calm.Elicit hidden agendas. Actively listen. Stick to your guns. Got first choice. But turned it down in favour of bbt. The exam needs to be ditched. The selection centre was false but OK. Roleplays so prepare yourself for difficult coms roleplays.

Be careful when entering your employment history as quite


confusion the way you need to order them. Also don't forget to put your time in university in as otherwise will appear as an employment break and potentially cause problems! MCQ bank online questions - 8/10.


Generally ok, found it quite hard to revise for given the wide array of topics it can cover. I regretted not spending more time doing practice questions. I found some of the medical questions quite frustrating as I felt they sometimes didn't give enough detail and a couple of the answers could have been right depending on how you interpreted the information. I also found the SJT style questions quite frustrating as often I didn't really feel any of the answers where ideal and therefore tricky to rank. Found it harder than the SJT in medical school as there sometimes wasn't a clear best and worse option. Good to do see practice questions to get used to layout of questions. MCQ bank - 9/10.


Quite nice as far as interviews goes - everyone very friendly. Worth reading up what to expect in the 3 stations and doing some practice scenarios. I felt much less nervous having done this.


Jennifer Mitchell Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment


If applying for Scotland don't forget to look up which deaneries offer the golden handshake/ cash incentive!

Give yourself plenty of time to get in touch with your three referees before the application process begins! I used MCQ bank, 8/10 for clinical, 5/10 for situational judgement questions. It was pretty straight forward and much like sitting the situational judgement paper in medical school (although with, what felt like, less information per question) I read GMC material (6/10) and practised timing myself for the consultation parts. Make sure you finish the paper including the reflection part at the end - time yourself on this beforehand to ensure you leave enough time. I know a few people who left with reduced scores because of this. Clear process. Be aware that the GP practice you will be going to with each set of jobs is avilable to view when completing the form. Again, I have a colleague who didn't realise this, based their choices on the hospital rotations available and now has a GP practice fairly far from where they live. Timing is everything! Make sure you have enough to contact your referees, complete the application, complete the assessments and think carefully about your job ranking. Find your university certificate in advance as this will need photocopied and the original brought to the assessment day along with your other documents. Revise when you're able to - there are lots of resources available. Focus on your communication skills for the assessment day.


Emma Wilson Application Form


Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment

I found the application form easy to complete - this was mostly due to the information provided in this recruitment guide and from the Oriel Applicant Guide. I was glad to have the dates for my previous rotations already noted down in my CV as this would have been one of the more timeconsuming parts of the application. I would also ensure you nominate referees early and ensure they are aware of the time frame for submitting the reference early to avoid chasing up references before the end date. I started preparing around 4-5 months in advance and used this recruitment guide, resources provided by GPNRO and MCQbank mainly. I would recommend starting preparation early so that you don’t have to cram hours of revision around your shifts and especially around Christmas and New Year! MCQ bank covered both CKT and SJT content well and I found their questions to be at a similar level to that of the assessment with excellent feedback after each question - the price for MCQbank was also quite reasonable considering the content of the resource. Resources: MCQbank 10/10 GPNRO resources 6/10 - I found this resource less useful as the answers were not provided for multiple sample exercises. I found the assessment process to be straightforward and was happy to see that my assessment centre (Aberdeen) booked out a room just for the GP assessment and we did n’t have to worry about other exams taking place that may have had loud audio etc. I felt I had sufficient time for the SJT questions but found I had to manage my time carefully for the CKT as the allocated time was very tight. I also found some of the CKT questions to be quite vague with little information provided, which proved difficult when trying to answer questions quickly and efficiently. Otherwise the assessment process was structured and uncomplicated. Resources used: GPNRO resources 6/10 - again answers not provided for multiple sample exercises so less useful; Role playing with colleagues - particularly useful to practice scenarios with friends/family who don’t have a medical background. MCQbank 10/10 - again excellent feedback for questions and provides great structure for answering written paper and for consultations. Videos of consultations were also provided with detailed feedback about consultation style and content which were very useful. I would recommend starting preparation for the selection centre soon after the MSRA as the period of time between finding out if you have qualified for direct entry or not and your interview date is very short. I found the Selection Centre assessment to be quite useful, and found the assessment was structured but not too regimented as I’ve seen some Selection Centres have been from previous feedback. We had the written exercise first (Selection Centre in Edinburgh) which I felt well prepared for and finished with good time. Time management was very important for the written exercise and I would highly recommend having key reflection points already in mind as there are many common themes in the scenarios used (e.g.


Stage 4

Final Thoughts

time management, team working, respect for colleagues, leadership skills, patient safety etc.) - MCQbank was excellent for providing key points for reflection to apply in these scenarios. A number of candidates in my assessment had not practiced any of the written exercise scenarios available and they all found they didn’t have time to complete the written exercise (particularly the reflection section). The patient simulations went smoothly and our actors were all well prepared - I didn’t find any of them to be too challenging or obstructive to progression of the consultation. I got the impression our ability to build rapport, problem solve, structure a consultation and explore patient/relative/colleague ideas/concerns/expectations and our general communication skills were the main points under assessment. I didn't feel our clinical knowledge was particularly assessed. I would recommend making sure you have all the correct documentation and the appropriate photocopies before attending the assessment (of the 15 people present at our assessment only 2 of us actually had all of the correct documentation required). I was fortunate to get my first choice and found the process of accepting an offer to be straightforward. I would keep an eye on the recruitment timeline and check your portal regularly as Oriel’s s ystem for sending out email updates for your application are often delayed days after the update!! Thank you so much for your fantastic recruitment guide. I felt the process of applying was much easier and less stressful with all the feedback provided in this guide.


NORTH EAST

Ewelina Emilianowicz Application Form Overall it was self explanatory and simple. Pitfal, you need to get FY1-2 competencies signed off, everything in the form has to be ticked as completed. Stage 2/SRA MCQ bank, Emedica, Oxford clinical handbook of medicine; Preparation MCQ 10, Emedica 9. Stage 2 It was easy to go through questions, organized in a good Assessment way. TIps, time is a factor, you have to have the answer right away. No time to go back. I would not suggest flagging any questions, just going one by one, if not sure about an answer just quess and move on. Stage 3 Emedica, MCQ bank- both would rate as 10. Dont need to Preparation atted a face to face course. Online is enought, just give time. Stage 3 That was the most stressful and difficult part for me. I camw Assessment out feeling like a failue, but in the end ended up passing. Try to stay calm, think if ICE, be nice, polite, allow patients to talk. Stage 4 No problems. Final Thoughts

Razna Latif Application Form

Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation


I thought the application was overall straightforward, at first when you have to rank your preferences it says 0 places so still put down your preferences as later on vacancies do turn up. One problem I had I did miss important messages as I didn't always check my oriel account. Also you have to be quick to book the test date as I had one day off to do stage two I live in the north east no dates we're available for stage 2 near where I lived only date available was in London 8.30 in the morning so I had to take a coach overnight to arrive there on time as I had finished my a&e shift at 10pm and coach was the only public transport that would get me there on time so I tried to sleep on the coach and arrived in London at 6am ready to do the test. I used both emedica and mcqbank for stage 2 I felt both were good i would rate both of them 8/10 and felt well prepared when using them. I felt the computerised test was straight forward but have to be quick with the answers. I used MCQ bank I would give it 10/10 it was amazing prepared me really well for stage 3 went through all the scenarios with my sister and then went through the scenarios again and made notes on useful phrases. I also went through the written prioritisation exercise scenarios from MCQ bank and made notes. I thought of going on a course but didn't need to MCQbank was all I needed. Did run out of time for the written prioritisation exercise, I didn't like the fact that I wasn't able to highlight the sheet with the scenarios on especially when there was a lot of text. It was good that they told us early about my offer at 9.15am. I felt it was straightforward. The timescales is actually short between all the stages especially if you are working during that time so it might be a good idea to start preparing for


stage 2 as soon as you apply. Don't wait for the results of stage 2 to consider preparing for stage 3. As soon as you are eligible for either stage 2 or 3 book your slot as it could mean you have to travel far or worse not find a venue sit the exam. Thank you for your guide I found it really helpful and have been using it throughout the application process.

Katie Mellor Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation


Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4

I used Pass Medicine (which I used for finals).The questions were similar to the real thing. The topics were most helpful. It bought up a few topics that came up I wouldn’t have looked at otherwise. I found it useful from to increase my confidence pre test. Friends used MCQ bank. I panicked just before and signed up to this too. This was unnecessary. Both sites are similar. I thought it went smoothly. I had no problems with the way it worked. I used some of the example scenarios on MCQ bank. These were helpful to get in the right mind set. Communication skills are being tested so it is was something that didn’t need lots of practice. The selection centre was daunting. I didn’t realise you have to call in the patient/other role play participant on my first station and wasted time. This wasn’t very clear. Just stay calm and don’t over think things. Talk to the person infront of you as you would in normal working conditions. Northumbria covers such a large area. It needs to be broken down more. Specialities grouped together varied a lot so it was difficult to rank them in order of preference.

Final Thoughts

Keren Wee Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

I used passmedicine. It was ok. I used books. A lot of waiting around.


NORTHWEST

Alice Chigagure Application Form


Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Application process very straightforward, and GPNRO regularly send reminder emails and respond promptly to emails. I revised for about 3 months before - (albeit very slow progress for first 2 months ), First 2 months - I used pass medicine and emedica. Passmedicine was good for general background knowledge, but Emedica was most like the exam questions!, I also used MCQ bank for the final month leading up to the exam - again like E-medica it was similar to the exam ! out of 10 passmedicine 7/10, Emedica 10/10, MCQ bank 9/10, I thought the exam was fair , similar to finals (possibly a bit easier!) did well , scored band 3 in both the SJT and clinical knowledge section. I was very annoyed by the MCQ test - perhaps it was just me and pehaps it had been mentioned and I had simply forgotten. I didn't realise that once you finish part A (situational judgement) and move onto the MCQ (part B) you cant go back. I had a bit of a nightmare durig the exam as I lost track of time , and looked up at the clock and assumed I only had 45 minutes total to completethe whole exam,As a result I rushed through the SJT in order to finish it all. To my horror the screen displayed a message 'thank you for completing part A , you can now move onto part B, pease note you cannot go back) . I was so annoyed as the SJT has the most weighting and I hade essentially done in half the allocated time ! - so beware". To be honest I did one evenings worth of preparation for the scenarios- me and 2 friends practiced for 6 hours straight arounf takeaway I wouldn't recommend it - but that said I scored very highly at stage 3 Overall !scoring 34 /36 for the scenarios and 14/16 for the written exercise. On the day staff were very friendly and there was lots of water but no food. The only problem is I feel that the day gets dragged out a bit too much , I was an afternoon candidate so arrived at midday and we did not finish until 5 ! For the written part I used a green book called @GP ST stage 3 written and simulation exercises - 2nd edition , Huges and Tanna - rating 8/10 - very useful especially for written exercise. I should have purchased the E-medica stage 3 scenarios as a friend of mine had them and they were very good - rating 9/10. Tips- remember to bring food and water , as well as all the required ID. Also book your test centre ASAP ! the slots go very quickly and by the time Oriel send you a text most have been booked ! - I luckily got one close to me. Allocation process was straightforward for me , towards the deadline, Oriel sent us a final reminder to make sure our allocation rankings were correct. I luckily got my first choice . Oriel also send texts but these are often a few hours after things have been updated on Oriel so check Oriel regularly as well as your emails. Overall process very good and very straightforward. however, most of Oriel is very user friendly apart from being able to find the specific dates for things e.g. interview date s,


dates offers are posted etc.. Additionally there is not contact number for Oriel /GPNRO and it would be useful to speak to someone from time to time.

Wynne Chong Application Form


Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4

I was not aware that you could change your referee choices after submitting the application. A pre-knowledge of that would have been helpful as I changed my 1 of my referees due to lack of response from them. I did not receive a reply from the email found on Oriel for certain queries. I found it a lot more straightforward ringing the NHS England contact number directly. They are based in Piccadilly Place in Manchester. I was put through to someone who could help answer questions regarding Oriel and the application. I prepared using MCQBank for both clinical problem solving and professional dilemma questions. I would rank MCQBank 8 out of 10. for clinical problem solving. It was more difficult than the questions on the SRA which made me feel more confident. I didn't feel MCQBank helped with professional dilemma questions. I don't think it is possible to prepare for professional dilemma questions as these are so varied and situational. I found the assessment very straightforward. It is exactly the same as a driving theory test. They provided earplugs, a marker pen and a board for you to write on. I did not need to use the writing material as there were no questions requiring calculations. The earplugs were useful as the sound of clicking mouses can be quite a deterrent in such a small quiet enclosed space. I found it useful to flag up questions that I was not sure of. There is no time to waste and you generally spend about a minute on each question. I was able to review all the questions I flagged up towards the end. I prepared by using the selection centre material on MCQBank. I practised the simulation exercises with a fellow applicant and practised the written exercises on my own. I decided against going to any courses due to previously successful applicants advising that they did not find the courses particularly helpful. The written exercises on MCQBank were far shorter than that of the actual day. I generally spend about 15-30 seconds reading each scenario on MCQBank. On the day the scenarios were fairly long and took at least 1 minute to read each of them. This was unexpected and I almost ran out of time with this exercise. I felt the simulation exercises on MCQBank were far more complicated than that of the actual day. I actually thought this was an advantage as the simulations on the day were much easier to deal with. There was a photocopier at the selection centre for those who didn’t bring copies of their documents. I thought it was a straightforward process. I got my 5th choice but accepted the offer with upgrades. I was then upgraded to my 2nd choice quite quickly. I would encourage applicants who didn’t get their top choices to do the same.

Final Thoughts


Michael Durbar Application Form


Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Emma Hughes Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

I used mcq bank went through every question once in the 4 weeks prior to the exam, reread whole of the good medical practice books and redid the sjt questions. Would have been helpful to revise rheumatology and the different anti ccp etc as there seemed to be a lot of questions regarding these. The cetre did not allow any coats or jumpers so agree with your previous corespondents re clothes.

The offer process was smooth but the preemployment run by Pennine Acute seems totally disorganised and incompentent.

Don't recall any particular pitfalls - just leave enough time to go through it properly as can take a while ! Mostly just used Pass Medicine question bank - I would say 7 out of 10. Very tight for time in clinical section but plenty of time for the SJT section. Went to a Blackstone Tutors course and did plenty of practice with some other trainees who were applying. Not too bad at all. Take a watch to time the OSCE style stations as no warning buzzer goes off at 5 or 9 minutes and it's easy not to finish. Written section very tight for time. I will be starting an ACF post in GP so the allocation process was quite different for me.

Final Thoughts

Sophie McMurray Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment

Pretty straightforward and self-explanatory. I used MCQ bank to prepare and found it had some similar questions/themes to the actual exam. It was a good way of refreshing knowledge on a whole host of topics and prompted me to brush up on some areas that I didn’t perform so well in, using past revision notes. I would rate MCW bank 9/10. One of my only critiques of it would be that the timed sessions (where you set the time and number of items) actually cram in more questions than the actual exam, as some ‘items’ have more than one question attached to it. This did mean I had much more time than I expected in the actual exam. Being able to flag certain questions you’re not sure on is a good way of marking which ones to go back to at the end if you have time.

Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) - 36 -

Assessment Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Shail Jalan Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Isabelle Short Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation


I received a direct offer for my first choice. All communication ran smoothly and I was well-informed throughout. Thanks for the guide, it gave a great overview of the application process, especially as I was locuming this year and so didn’t have that much other advice regarding the process!

Its quite straightforward. Its one of the simplest applications to fill out. I used online questions. 8/10. I used the oxford handbook of medicine. 5/10 It was good. The PD part of the questionnaire was very mind boggling. I think it should be shortened. I used online resources. 10/10. I did role play with colleagues which was most helpful. It was alright. Just be prepared to be there for at least 5-6 hours. No point giving preferences. The selection process is good. I just wish there was more transparency in the allocation of area and posts.

Clear to fill out and self explanatory. I read the guide and did some MCQs on MCQ bank - not sure how useful this was, I did not do many questions (and therefore was probably a waste of money!). I felt the most useful thing that helped me was that I had a 4 month GP rotation before applied! It was clear - make sure to read the questions carefully! I was lucky enough not to need to go!

None - thanks for the guide

Samantha Simpkins Application Form Very simple, no additional room for extra achievements. I asked for a deferred start date and reduced time due to previously completing CMT on the form and this was granted later Stage 2/SRA I used MCQ Bank - I’m not sure it really helped to be honest. Preparation I passed without needing to interview but I didn’t do as well on the SJT questions and didn’t learn that much from the bank. Not sure it was worth the money over the cheaper banks. Stage 2 Simple to complete. Time consuming!! Assessment Stage 3 Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) - 37 -

Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

M Stockdale Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Charlotte Thorne Application Form


Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Really pleasant experience compared to applying to CMT!

Applied to northwest, was successful, initially allocated not to first choice, but upgraded to 1st choice trust later. Used several tetbooks with mcqs and also paid for mcq bank online. Both very good resources, textbook 7, mcqbank 9/10. Straight forward compute based assessment, trickier than I was anticipating but nothing out of the ordinary. Didn't really use much to prepare, just went through a few scenarios and talked to previous candidates.

if i could go back i would revise more thoroughly, particularly commonly assessed areas with varied question topics, particularly endocrine, ENT and visual problems. The interview day booked up very quickly, make sure you book straight away and stay closeby to avoid any travel delays

The form itself was straightforward, lengthy and thanks to your advice I started filling it out early which made the process easier. I paid for MCQ bank, as others had said it was most like the MSRA. 9/10 (really really good, just a shame it is significantly more expensive than other resources). I did find that the questions were very similar, although am not sure that the extra money made MCQbank worthwhile for the clinical knowledge questions alone.- I found that the SJT section of MCQbank was really helpful, both for the written exam and the 'interview' section, and would highly recommend it as these are the areas that seemed to set applicants apart. As with all exams, some questions had typos +/ did not seem to make sense which was frustrating. I found that I had enough time to complete all of the questions. We were advised not to take food or drink, but our test centre allowed food and drink to be near you which we could get to during a break - I recommend this! MCQbank 9/10 - Plenty of resources with role play guidance and generic feedback built around key approach points. I thought this was really helpful, as it led me to develop a basic structure for different scenarios and allowed me to drop the 'acting' which helps gain the extra marks. Practicing the written part and a few role play scenarios with a friend was enough for this. The video consultations were also helpful, to gauge where I was at compared to another candidate, and to consider my wording to difficult questions.


Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4

Final Thoughts

This was a long day, I was warned in advance that we would be waiting around a lot so took a book and plenty of food strongly advise this! Well organised, the staff were very friendly, and the actors and examiners were fair and encouraging. I think a lot of candidates became stressed because the scenarios were difficult/ awkward - it is important to remember that you do not need to have the answer! Just end with an appropriate plan (which could be: 'I'll go and discuss this with my seniors, and then can we meet again this afternoon?') was often appropriate. It was unclear which day we would be informed about our offers, and it was made very clear that if we did not accept in good time the offer would be withdrawn. This felt a little stressful as I had booked a holiday during the 3 week window in which I thought we would hear back with offers. I would say be aware that you may receive an offer within a fairly big window of time, but as long as you have internet access the process to accept/ accept with upgrades is very easy. I thought that the process overall was fair. I was glad I prepared for the MSRA exam in advance, mainly the SJT section as I felt that the tactics of ranking were most important. I received an e-mail from the Selection Centre about a month after the 'interviews' for travel expenses claims, and there was a section on the to claim for overnight stay in a hotel as well. It might be worth looking into this for your test location if you are having difficulty with the logistics of getting there. It is a shame the recruitment website isn't set up so that the process is clearly outlined, but this guide was really helpful and meant that I could focus on one bit at a time - thank you! Thank you so much for creating this guide, and for continuing to work hard to make others feel comfortable in applying to GP training. Overall, with your guidance and speaking to those who are a year or two into their GP training, the process was straightforward. However, the GP recruitment websites are not ideal! And important information is difficult to find!


SOUTH WEST

Farnaz Akbar Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

Keep track of time, try to finish before time.

Final Thoughts

Elspeth Bisson Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Clemency Clarke Application Form


Stage 2 Assessment

It was straightforward, but some of it was repeated again after Ward , after acceptance in pre-registration process. MCQ bank-10/10.

Solo, but I have been recently preparing for PACES course, that was great help. Again allocate time for each written task. MCQ bank style for interview was of great help. Straightforward, but waiting for outcome was quite stress full. Many thanks for providing such a useful information. It streamlined and helped me in preparation without drowning myself in information jungle. please continue.

I mainly used passmed and mcqbank - rated both as useful scored well in exam. Quite a lot of paeds and dermatology. Much easier to revise when can apply to patients have actually treated.

This was all quite stressful - long waits for allocations, upgrades, job allocations once in upgrade etc. Got 3rd choice of Bath was then moved up to Bristol and Somerset but elected to move back to Bath. Severn deaneries actually more competitive than London this year - I got direct entry and foolishly assumed I would get straight into Bristol but this did not happen. I found it pretty stressful to be honest. Hated how I was just a number and never any personal touches. I think everyone assumes its easy to get a GP job but actually you aren't treated particularly kindly and still some healthy competition.

Very straightforward. Currently doing an F3 in Australia and there is a place to explain why you don't hold a GMC license if applicable. I only went throught the MCQ bank (9/10) and read through the answers. Once I had gone through these I also bough pastest (6/10) but I didn't find it nearly as good actually. Only helpful thing was you can put it on your phone. It was fine. The centers were very strict about everything including checking my glasses. You're not allowed water in the center which is a bit ridiculous I thought. Make sure to


practice the online one just to know the system. Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Overall straightforward- not trying to trick you. Your guide was so helpful- thank you very much!

Sireesha Dhannapuneni Application Form Very straightforward, no pitfall experienced. Stage 2/SRA MCQ Bank 9/10 BMJ on Examination 8/10. Preparation Stage 2 It is very time pressurised. I am not very fast as such. My Assessment goal was to be able to answer all questions with in the time and was glad I managed to do so. Make sure you manage to attempt and answer all questions. Stage 3 MCQ bank- very good 10/10. Preparation Stage 3 Can be very daunting on the day. Be yourself and remember Assessment there are a lot of limitations for simulation (patient, relative, colleague) scenarios. I prepared for the scenarios with high expectations after watching the videos on MCQ bank material but the role players are not as good in the real examination as the person in the video. Stage 4 No issues with feedback, it is quite generic. Final Thoughts The whole process of GP recruitment may initially appear complex however there is lot of useful info everywhere, once familiarise yourself, you find that it is very straightforward.

Georgie Maguire Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment

Application form was straight forward and user friendly (as long as you weren't using a phone). I used passmedicine and MCQ bank. I would give passmedicine 8/10 as it was so user-friendly and I loved the qn layout etc but found that the material was too focused on guidelines so MCQ bank would be 8/10 as the content seemed to come up more in the actual exam but I hated the layout of the website. The assessment was tricky. I learnt that it is definitely beneficial to revise for SJT. I had focused on preparing for the knowledge section which I did well in but didn't do as well on the SJT section. So much time for the SJT part and very short of time for the main section. I prepared using MCQ bank stage 3 role play examples and written prep. I would rate it 10/10. It was very helpful and glad I took the time to run through some role plays with my partner (non-medic). I scored 100% in both parts so preparation was definitely helpful. I thought the selection centre day ran smoothly once it actually got started but we had to wait an extra 2 hours before it started in the morning so that made everyone more nervous. I did mine in Bristol. I had been warned that you don't have long in the written component but I would


Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Lauren Pearce Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment


reiterate that advice as I felt very rushed and half an hour goes by in a flash. Allocation was straight forward, although they emailed later than they actually released the offers on Oriel and when I got upgraded I wasn't notified until 2 days after. Overall very good selection process. It does seem to drag on and takes up more time than I had previously appreciated but I am pleased with the outcome and think it is quite fair. Thank you for your guide, it was very helpful.

Used MCQBank. Very useful 9/10. Good question explainations Similar to practice questions. Go with your gut on ethics part, try not to overthink. Have an idea of timing for each question. MCQBank scenarios- got friends/family to roll play. Very useful and a good reflection of scenarios. For the part of prioritising tasks was also very useful - made me come up with some good stock phrases to use in multiple situations 9/10. Fine. The writing task threw me off a bit as it was quite different to practice ones, but don't get too focused on getting the correct order and just find reasons to justify your original decision- even if you change your mind halfway through . Good and timely. 100% for 3 interview stations and 100% for written exercise. None. Travel can be claimed back which I hadn't realised! Stage 3 takes a good four hours, don't expect to finish early! Can claim a cpd certificate for six hours from MCQBank for £8.


THAMES

Gillian Warren Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Application form was straight forward. I used MCQ bank as the feedback on your guide seemed very positive. I would rate it 9/10. I felt the clinical questions were fair however the SJT questions were really random and quite unrealistic scenarios at times.

Allocation seemed straight forward. I was disappointed when I found out from my deanery that rotations were allocated randomly and not based on application score as I had done well in the MCQ. It wasn't what I'd expected so would have been good for the rotation allocation process to have been explained prior to applying. However fortunately I still managed to get my first choice of rotations Many thanks for making your guide, I found the information invaluable!


WALES

Peter Hancock Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Ffion Prothero Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation

Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation


Very self explanatory. I used MCQ bank which was excellent. I focused too much on the clinical questions during my preparation, I wish I’d spent more time on the situational judgement part as it’s worth more marks. It’s harder than the SJT for the foundation program I’I was very pushed for time. Again I used MCQ bank. There are videoed simulation consultations which were very useful and very like the actual consultations in the selection centre. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, I did not feel like anyone was trying to catch me out. I was allocated Gwent in South Wales. I chose this so I can live in Bristol and drive. It’s much less competitive than Severn deanery, I got my top choice of jobs which I definitely would not have got in Severn. Compared to speciality recruitment it was much quicker and easier, and at no point was a portfolio required.

Straightforward and pretty easy. MCQ books, 9/10. There isn’t long to prepare, only about a couple of weeks. I didn’t want to tempt fate in getting all the books before i knew I was invited to do the assessment so had less time. Probably better to concentrate on the clinical than the professional dilemma part as it’s more clear cut-you either know the answer or you don’t. Common sense is the professional one and very difficult to knoe the ‘wrong’ answer. There was only a 2 minute gap between the two assessments, they said at the reception that there was 5 and you could stretch your legs but no so it gets tiring. I had oven an hour lef t for both so left early, it isn’t bad, just have to get on with it. Didn’t prepare, I though it was best to be myself and do exactly as I would if I was at work faced with these patients. Found this approach to be straightforward and felt much less nervous. Had pretty much full marks in all the stations so must have done something right! None, happy with my first choice. Very efficient and swift process from beginning to end.


WESSEX

Rich Cross Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment

Do lots of MCQ bank questions. Clinical knowledge similar to finals. Think about specialties (derm, micro, paeds, O&G). MCQ bank videos, spoke with GP trainees.


Lauren Lock Application Form



Rachael McGowan Application Form


Straightforward from what I remember – but took longer to fill out than I thought it would. MCQ bank – 9/10 Gpstcourses 3/10.

Don’t get stressed. Remember to ask about “how they feel” and “is there anything else troubling you” etc. The actors were fair especially compared to GKT OSCEs which I had to endure! Straightforward. Not too taxing in the end!

It was unclear whether to tick the box for deferred entry on the application form as it said this was only for ‘statutory reasons’ e.g. sickness, pregnancy etc. I didn’t get a reply when I asked the deanery and the guidance online said to send a letter explaining why you want to defer within 2 weeks of getting an offer. So I didn’t tick the box and sent the letter and I was granted deferral. Others, did tick the box and automatically got the deferral- I think it depends on the deanery. I used MCQ bank for 1-2 months but was also on a GP rotation at the time which was useful. I would rate MCQ Bank 10/10- and I got a high enough score to get direct entry. The computerised assessment was clear and easy to use.

Make sure you email you’re references to remind them to do it- one of mine was on annual leave for the 2 weeks before the deadline and I hadn’t realised they’d not done it, but easy to change referees which is what I did in the end. Not sure what happens if your references aren’t complete! :/

Application form felt fairly straightforward. Couldn't work out how to rank the jobs though - didn't realise it was simply drag and drop. I used passmedicine (8/10) and MCQ bank (9/10). It was fine. You need to pace yourself, make sure you learn some opthalmology/radiology in preparation stages. The SJT


questions feel a bit like you could argue for 4/5 options in the top slot, remember it's ranking them in order of preference, not the order you would actually do the tasks. Got direct pathway to offers so didn't need to prepare. Had already purchased MCQ bank for this though and think it would have been good.


Final Thoughts

Pratiksha Patel Application Form




Final Thoughts

This was straightforward, no problem. I was particularly impressed with the speed of communication from Wessex Deanery - no sooner were the offers out that we got emails on ranking the jobs / requests for information about the general area we would be living in so that they could appropriately allocate the GP roles. Felt pretty straightforward to me. GP Recruitment Guide definitely demystified it!

The application form is pretty straightforward I felt, no obvious pitfalls just to send a few days before the deadline due to sometimes crashing. I used passmedicine - i did not think it was representative felt it was a lot easier than the actual exam and think MCQbank was better (I only used this 2 days before the exam and didn’t get through it of course) but future applicants - I would recommend MCQbank. Just try not to take too long as time goes really quickly. I used emedica online, the resources are really good and I got my partner to practice as the patient, colleague, relative using those scripts. It was the mos helpful thing. The emedica course was also something I went to, not sure if it helped more for just making me feel productive and confidence boosting but you do get to practice and see others practice which is really good. The assessment centre I guess felt stressful, like OSCE all over again but actually was fine when you started. Time just goes too quickly in the stations though so practice with time. Quite straightforward - you get a choice and can accept or hold or decline and then can get upgraded too. You can move the rankings around so can put something lower higher if you want. I got my second choice and then upgraded to Winchester first choice after a few days. Nothing else to add but more than happy to take any questions from anyone if they need.

Alexander Prudence-Taylor Application Form Suited to purpose, read it through two or 3 times. Stage 2/SRA Book and BMJ learning questions; both were closer to the Preparation SJT for entry to Foundation Schools; questions are more cut and dry, whereas the GP entry questions were more waffle and at times it would present you with no good solutions, and you cannot work out which domain it is primarily attempting to test. BMJ learning 7/10. Download the latest copy from http://www.gprecruitment.info (last updated 11/08/2018) - 46 -

Stage 2 Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation

Stage 3 Assessment


Best to remember that there is a difference between ‘ideal world answers’ and ‘real world, practical answers’, and this seems to test ideal world answers; I think that being in medical practice actually negatively affects your ‘ideal world answers’ because from practice you know that half the answers, while ‘ideal’, are silly suggestions because they wouldn’t work in the real world, as much as we’d like them to. Then you have an internal argument as to whether you answer ‘practically or ideally’. So you never know where you sit. Read through possible scenarios on the website, reviewed the biopsychosocial model of allowing them to talk, then exploring their ICE and what they really want (exactly what being a Foundation doctor in hospital and ED beats out of you!) – was a nice refreshing thing actually. Cold, I thought people would be at least a little more social, but it was full of people I presume were applying to other specialities also because I would not have thought they’d be GPs! Also I appeared in a suit which all my bosses in hospital advised and there were toehrs there in jeans! Couldn’t work out if I was over dressed or they were severely underdressed. You get a cryptic message from horus that you have to read between all the code to work out if you have an offer or not. There’s no opportinuty to show all the extra work like audits and research you’ve done.


WEST MIDLANDS

B Ineela Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

application process was simple and s traight. pass medicine - 6/10 assessment was okay. Time management is the main issue. emedica - 9/10 was expected and well organised allocation process is very slow but okay

Final Thoughts

Sanusi Gbolahan Application Form



Final Thoughts

Abdullah Habeebu Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts

Requires a lot of detail and dates . Might be a bit difficult to keep up. It’s helpful that if a date discrepancy occurs , it gets flagged up and you are notified . Mcqbank -8/10; Emedica - 6/10 None of the preparatory resources give a 100% idea of how the actual exam feels . All you get is a good idea . It’s important to go into the assessment centre prepared with an open mind Mcqbank stage 3 online resource 10/10; Emedica stage 3 session . 10/10. This was expecially helpful close to the exam because certain situations where I was not sure of during preparation were clarified . Scored a 51/52 it’s alright to be nervous . Just do what you would in an actual consultation and ‘dig deep then wide ‘ with the questions The preferencing process is important . Think through the preferencing and have them ranked on your preference rather than what you think others might choose . Studying for the stage 2 bit is the most difficult part . Everything else gets easier after that

It was pretty straightforward I used MCQBank and will rate them 9/10 The timing appeared short, especially for the second part. If unsure about an answer, just guess and move on. You can return to the question if chanced at the end. I uesd MCQbank and will rate them 9/10 It was straightforward. Get to know the venue and how to get there before the exam day if possible. It is fair. It was a comparatively easy and straightforward process. I was successful but had to relinquish it because I tried to defer my start date, my request was refused and I was unable to resume.


Sarika Kapoor Application Form



Final Thoughts

Application form quite straightforward. Difficult to rank choices from a smartphone, maybe clearer instructions on drag and drop. Emedica 8.5/10 layout similar, MCQbank 8/10, Passmedicine 8/10 good for consolidating learning with explanations but a lot also irrelevant. Did not like SJT part, confusing questions and seemed very subjective. No question banks helped for this but maybe should have used them! Emedica course - scenarios and attending day interview course which was super useful as individual feedback given and really replicated exam scenario. Would highly recommend as got full marks! Course material also helped with essay question and structure of answers. 10/10 See above. Quite relaxing surprisingly. Quite difficult ranking all the jobs in the West Midlands central region. I noticed other regions were split up into hospital which would probably be a lot easier as oppose to ranking 64 jobs. fair process in terms of knowledge and interview skills. I do think knowledge should superseed SJT though in terms of contributing to overall score. SJT seems very subjective and still not sure how much this is actually a true reflection of a candidate. Thanks for your guide! Really helped me out!!


YORKSHIRE AND HUMBER

Maya Boro Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment

Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Amy Cartwright Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment


Rachel Casey Application Form


Stage 2

Application form straight forward and easy. Passmedicine I thought it was straightforward. I did rush in the end though, maybe I should have practised timing. Prepared with a GP registrar. Assessment day was very straight forward. No surprises. There was good introduction from the organisers about the day and also a debrief session at the end. There was also a Q&A about the whole recruitment process, and specific things regarding Yorkshire & Humber region. No issues. I got my first choice. Yorkshire & Humber released all of their programmes so I was able to make the right choice. It was easy - nothing to worry about.

Found the application pretty straightforward with the help of this guide. I used pass medicine. It did the job but wasn’t very inspiring. 7/10. Set up was pretty standard but not much time - work quickly and if you’re stuck, make an educated guess, flag it to come back to and move on! Just read this guide for stage 3 and made sure I’d read the question format before the day. I was told not to prepare much by previous applicants. Selection centre prioritisation exercise was pretty short on time and lots of my tasks to prioritise were fairly non-urgent which made prioritising them tricky. The scenarios were all fairly similar to what I’ve faced in Foundation. No problems or complications. Found the whole thing quite straightforward and stress-free!

Application form is fairly straightforward, would recommend getting in touch with your references to remind them to complete it, I know some colleagues had a hard time chasing them up. I used MCQ bank which was really helpful, I'd say 8/10. It also gives you practice examples for Stage 3 which was great. I was on a busy medical job at the time so didn't do as much revision as I'd have wanted to, but doing these questions whenever I got a spare few minutes really helped. Having said that I'd recommend not worrying too much about it! The question bank of exam questions seemed to be so broad, and you can't cover everything, you just have to do what you can. The computerised exam system was easy to use - I'd


Assessment

Stage 3 Preparation


Final Thoughts

Prerna Chinoy Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4

recommend taking advantage of the flagging system so you can review questions you're not sure on. MCQ bank has an option of viewing the questions as you would in the exam so you can get used to the layout which was helpful. I used MCQ bank to prepare for Stage 3 (8/10) - they have practice scenarios which I went through with friends. I'd definitely recommend practicing a few of the written prioritisation questions as you are very time-limited! But the actual practical stations aren't really things you can rehearse or prepare for too much, just need to relax on the day. You have quite a lot of waiting around on the actual day, so bring snacks or try to arrange to go with friends or people who will help you to relax. Using the computer system to rank jobs was fairly straightforward. The actual allocations was quite frustrating as a few of my colleagues were able to log in and change their preferences after we had been allocated a scheme, meaning when they were upgraded they were upgraded into their 1st choice rather than 2nd/3rd (I didn't do this and didn't end up getting my 1st choice). Hopefully they will sort this out for next year as it doesn't seem very fair. Thanks, your guide was a great help last year.

Application form was very straightforward, mostly factual questions. I did BMJ on examination questions over a weekend, mostly to get the feel of the format. MCQ Was harder than I anticipated. I would advise a lot of practice questions and get. Good rest the night before. I used your guide, some sample free questions I found online. that was all more than enough. I rate your guide 10/10. selection centre day was a long wait to start and a long day,so eat before it and be calm. It was straightforward with no tricks. Allocation was by regular email, be sure to keep an eye on oriel.

Final Thoughts

Sabri Garoushi Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment


Application form was efficient. I used Pass-medicine. I guess it was fine, I did not really finish all of the Mcqs but it was helpful for preparation. I would say 7 out of 10. Time management is very important in this bit. You can easily be eluded by spending more time on some MCQs and then you find out that you have not finished and you are out of time. I did again the Pass-Medicine. again 7 out of 10. It was the online one, watched most of the videos. I think it was fine. I mean just act normal and do what you do in daily basis and things can be alright. Just make sure to bring all of the related documents with you.


Stage 4

Final Thoughts

Muniba Khan Application Form Stage 2/SRA Preparation Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation

I was lucky to get the Deanery and the city I wanted, and this was my target, as if this was not the case I would not have accepted the offer. Of course the long process and the multiple assessments down the line. Just a nightmare I guess!

Very detailed and time consuming. But very important. Think twice. I used the online pastest questions . well enough. very similar to pastest questions, be relaxed and confident!


Catriona McNicol Application Form


Stage 2 Assessment


Final Thoughts

J Roscoe Application Form

I used GMP scenarios they were very relevant 10/10. I also did some practice with a friend who was using MCQ bank and got to know little about them, for essay qs I just looked at 2 example questions available free online (?blackhouse may be) website no food so bring your own food no concerns its a long way to finish training so be prepared!

Fairly straightforward. If applying using a Alternative Form of Competencies then give yourself plenty of time e.g. at least 3.5 months to get it completed as you require at least 3 months supervision from the person who will sign you off and it's a really long form to complete, so your supervisor will undoubtedly need some time after your 3 month post to do so. MCQBank, battered on through as many clinical questions as possible but in reality only got about 1/5th of them done. Didn't revise the SJT questions as I feel these are more common sense based and practicing questions just makes you question your own innate judgement. Absolutely fine. Arrive with enough time to settle yourself in as you need to show ID, lock things away and then queue up to enter the room. Wear the headphones provided as they cut out background noise and keep you focussed. You have more time than you think.

Just be sure that if you're in a large Deanery that you are applying for the correct area, check, double check and check your choices one more time. Really straight forward, no complications. I found it to be a really straightforward process.

It was simple.



Passmedicine. 10/10 Easy if well prepared. Plenty of time. I did not have to interview due to my high exam result.

First choice job through direct application Noone ever looks at your CV!

Anna Watkinson-Powell Application Form I found the initial application straightforward but people must ensure they check their spam as that's where my oriel emails went! Stage 2/SRA I used passmedicine for the msra exam and would rate 9/10 Preparation as good range questions and good value. Stage 2 Assessment Stage 3 Preparation Stage 3 Assessment Stage 4 Final Thoughts Advice would be to check oriel on regular basis.

Claire Wilson Application Form


Stage 3 Assessment


Application form was fine. Just ask your referees first before putting them down and also check that they can fill in tinge reference on Oriel. 2 of my referees couldn’t access Oriel so had to fill out a paper reference which took extra time. I used Passmedicine for both PD and clinical knowledge sections and would recommend it. They were similar to the exam. It was a long exam! Just made sure you time keep as you don’t want to run out of time. I prepared using MCQBank. I don’t think the scenarios were that realistic but it would useful to get your head into the mindset of the way to approach the scenarios and good things to say. And I got full marks at the selection centre! It was a very long, drawn out process on Hull. It was freezing cold and were only given ice cold water. No tea or coffee. The actual assessment only last for 1 hour but we were there for 3! Go fully fed so you don’t get hungry! And don’t be late. I got my second choice area allocation but my first choice job once we had to rank jobs. It was a long process and hard when you’re working an intense Rota but I’m glad I’ve done it and got it out of the way as I’m taking an F3.


Gp Entry Guide 2019

Recommend Documents