Neurology 9th December 2024

Neurology ST4 Interview Format 2025

Preparing for the Neurology ST4 interview requires you to meet specific requirements outlined for the 2025 intake. These include completing the IMT Stage 1 programme or an equivalent qualification, as neurology is a Group 1 specialty. All Group 1 specialties, including neurology, will dual accredit with General Internal Medicine.

Further details about eligibility can be found in the Neurology ST4 person specification, which provides a comprehensive guide to the qualifications and experience required for this competitive training pathway.

There’s also the MRCP to consider. You must have either successfully completed the MRCP(UK) Part 1 at the time of application and MRCP(UK) Part 2 by the offer date or completed the Irish Basic Specialty Training in Medicine and the MRCPI full diploma by the offer date to be eligible to apply. Being eligible for the specialist register in general internal medicine by the time of application is another alternative which will allow you to apply for Neurology ST4.

What is the Neurology ST4 Interview Format?

There are two ST4 Neurology Interview stations that each contain two questions. 15 minutes are allocated to each station, and the entire interview will last approximately 35-40 minutes. We have produced our Neurology ST4 Interview Question bank to help you prepare for your interview, including questions and themes that have come up in previous interviews. You’ll see some examples from our question bank throughout this blog, which will give you an idea of what the question bank entails. 

Neurology ST4 interviews for 2025 are 18 – 19 March 2025.

Station 1 – Question 1 – Application & Training / Suitability & Commitment (7.5 mins)

In previous years, this station was broken into two; Application and Training, and Suitability and Commitment, however, these stations have now been merged together. For this station, you will be asked one question that covers application and training, and suitability and commitment, and you will be scored on each of these areas.

For the application and training part of this question, ensure you are familiar with the application that you submitted, as here you will be asked further questions about this as well as any training you have undertaken so far.

To demonstrate your suitability and commitment, expand on the information provided in your application form, think about why you would be a good neurologist, what experience of neurology you have etc. Think about what inspired you to study neurology in the first place.

Below is an example question from our interview question bank, where we provide example questions and answers to aid you in your Neurology ST4 interview preparation. 

Station 1 – Question 2 – Presentation (approx. 4.5 minutes)

The topic for this question is ‘An interesting case I have been involved in/a case that has changed my practice’. 

You will be expected to present an interesting (neurological!) case you’ve been involved with. This doesn’t have to be ground-breaking stuff; any case that you found interesting personally will do. Choose wisely, the more interested you are in the case, the better you will present it. 

The interviewers will expect you to present the case over 3 minutes, followed by some discussion. This will be without multimedia backup: imagine presenting a patient over a cup of coffee. A few minutes of questioning will then ensue, so make sure you get across the salient points. If you know the diagnosis, be prepared to discuss differentials and treatments. 

Your knowledge of the in-depth particulars is not being assessed; rather the interviewers are looking for a clear communication style and that you recognise the learning points of the case being presented.

To make sure you’re ready to present,  practice in front of a mirror and film yourself. You can then watch the recordings back, take note of your body language, and ensure you’re speaking clearly.

Our Neurology ST4 Interview question bank provides examples of presentations to give you an idea of how to approach this question area. 

Station 2 – Question 1 – Medical Registrar Suitability (7.5 mins)

The question looks at the non-clinical aspects of being a medical registrar, specifically focusing on two Capabilities in Practice (CiPs) outlined in the Internal Medicine Stage 1 Curriculum. These CiPs are vital for a medical registrar’s role and include:

Managing an acute unselected take: This refers to the ability to effectively handle the influx of patients during a busy period, where the patient mix may be varied and diverse. It requires prioritisation, efficient triage, and allocation of appropriate resources to ensure optimal patient care. 

Managing a multi-disciplinary team, including effective discharge planning: This involves the coordination and leadership of a diverse team of healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care for patients. Additionally, it emphasises the importance of efficient discharge planning to ensure smooth transitions of patients from hospital to community care.

During the interview process, the interviewers will provide a short question that will prompt your response. This question will not be disclosed beforehand, and you will receive it verbally once the previous question has been addressed. The allocated time for this question is approximately 7.5 minutes.

You will be asked to draw on your experience in managing a team responsible for acute medical admissions. The interviewers will expect you to provide specific examples of how you have effectively managed such situations, demonstrating your leadership, decision-making skills, and ability to ensure the best care for patients.

In our Neurology ST4 interview question bank, we provide example scenarios and questions to help you familiarise yourself and prepare for this station. We also encourage users to provide feedback whilst using the question bank and after the interview, so we can constantly update and improve on the question bank.

Station 2 – Question 2 – Ethical, Professionalism & Governance (7.5 mins)

For this question, the discussion will begin with interviewers posing a hypothetical situation that relates to ethical, professionalism, and governance issues. 

This hypothetical situation will not be provided beforehand but will be presented verbally after the previous question. You will have approximately 7.5 minutes to respond and answer questions addressing the moral, ethical, and legal aspects of the scenario. If there’s time, you may also be asked a couple of questions about GMC Good Medical Practice principles.

Practising Neurology ST4 interview questions, like the example below from our question bank, can help you build confidence and familiarity with the types of scenarios you’ll encounter during the real interview.

Successful candidates will reflect on their own experience in their answers; e.g. if asked about improving or identifying a problem within a service, you may wish to talk about the QIP you led the year previously and what the next steps are.

Familiarising yourself with the principles of Good Medical Practice will help you prepare, and if you can, it would be useful to chat with current registrars / senior doctors to be quizzed on topics.

Neurology ST4 Interview Scoring 

There are 5 scored areas in the interview, scored by two markers, based on how well you perform. This means there is a total of 50 points on offer. As a guide, marks are awarded according to the following quality markers: 

0/1 – Very poor answer; does not grasp concept.

2 – Area for concern; falls below standard required for commencement of ST4.

3 – Average Answer; Standard expected of an average candidate completing IMT.

4 – Good Answer; Above average ability.

5 – Excellent Answer; a high performing trainee.

Your raw interview score (RIS) is the sum of all 10 scores you receive, which will be between 10 and 50. Final points from the interview will be processed through a predefined formulae to combine the interview score with your shortlist score. The final mark will be published /100. The process of this and the formulae are available on the ST4 recruitment website.

To note, candidates scoring ≤1 points will automatically be ranked as unappointable to an ST4 post and you cannot have more than two of your 10 scores as 2/5.

Remember, you can prepare for each of the stations with our Neurology ST4 Interview Question Bank, written by previously high-scoring trainees to help you rank highly at interview. 

Good luck!

Further Reading

Neurology ST4 Interview Preparation and Essential Reading 

Internal Medicine Applications