Paediatrics ST3 Interview Question Bank

The Medibuddy Paediatrics ST3 Question Bank includes over 30 scenarios that closely mirror the real interview, each with a model answer written/edited by high-scoring candidates who sat the Paediatrics ST3 interview in 2026.

However, knowing a strong answer isn't the same as delivering it well under pressure, which is why we provide:

Study Groups with candidates across the country
Unlimited Live Mocks with real people
Peer Feedback on your mocks from a wide range of candidates

10 years’ experience preparing doctors for interviews

Users of the Medibuddy Paediatrics ST3 Revision Platform have secured some of the most competitive training jobs in recent rounds. Ask around, there's a good chance the trainees in the year above you used us too.

Always up to date

Did you know the interviews change every year? That's why we review and update every Question Bank on the platform twice a year, so you know you're always practising with scenarios based on the latest interview structure.

Network and practise real interview scenarios with other candidates

Question Bank

See every scenario, and how to answer it well

Over 30 scenarios across all four domains of the interview, which tell you exactly how to respond to each question.

Study Groups

Connect with candidates across the country

Most people only ever practise with one or two friends. Study Groups connect you with candidates right across the country sitting the same Paediatrics ST3 interview.

Live MocksBeta

Practise interview technique with different candidates

Arrange or get matched on demand with other candidates and run real scenarios out loud under interview conditions. Those who practise with the widest range of people tend to score the highest.

Peer FeedbackBeta

Reviewed by candidates across the platform

Submit your recorded mocks to candidates across the platform and get honest, varied feedback. Reviewing other people's mocks teaches you just as much.

The question bank, and other candidates to practise with, all in one platform.

What candidates say

Scored well, secured their post

A few of the candidates who prepared with us for the Paediatrics ST3 interview.

Verified candidateInterviewed 2026

"The communication scenarios were pitched exactly right. Having a structure ready meant I could handle a difficult conversation with a parent calmly and stay child-centred."

Secured first-choice deanery

Verified candidateInterviewed 2026

"Practising out loud with other candidates was the single most useful thing I did. The model answers showed me how much structure the panel is really looking for."

Ranked highly

Part 1 • See the questions

The Medibuddy 2027 Paediatrics ST3 Question Bank

The interview is a two-station format covering four domains, and lasts for around 55 minutes, meaning each part is tightly timed, so you have a limited window to deliver the high-scoring answers you need to do well. That means every point has to land, and knowing how to structure each answer is essential. That's why each of our 30+ scenarios comes with a model answer, written by candidates who scored highly in the 2026 Paediatrics ST3 interview, so you know exactly how to approach every question the interviewers throw your way.

What's inside

What's included in the Paediatrics ST3 Question Bank

There's nothing worse than getting to the interview and being handed a scenario you've never seen before. The panel assesses you on communication, reflective, clinical and governance themes, so the safest approach is to revise across all of them. We provide scenarios for every part of the interview, including the common ones and the more unusual cases that have come up before, so you don't get caught out.

Communication

Scenario-based conversations with patients, parents and carers, from declined treatment to breaking difficult news, each with a worked answer showing how to stay clear, empathetic and child-centred.

Reflective Practice

Questions that explore how you reflect on your experiences and develop your career, with model answers that show genuine insight and self-awareness.

Clinical Thinking

Situational judgement and clinical problem-solving scenarios, with structured answers that show safe, logical reasoning under pressure.

Governance & Leadership

Questions on workplace governance and management at ST3 level, with worked answers that show awareness of safety, systems and your role in the wider team.

Reflecting how paediatrics is really assessed

So much of paediatrics relies on communication, with parents and families as well as children, often in emotionally charged situations. Our scenarios are built around exactly these conversations, alongside the reflective, clinical and governance domains.

Try it

Try an example Paediatrics ST3 question

You are a paediatric ST3. The midwives on the birthing suite ask you to speak to Liana, the mother of a newborn baby boy. She has declined intramuscular vitamin K for her baby and would like to talk it through with a doctor.

How would you approach this consultation?

Question

How would you approach this consultation?

Example answer

My aim is a clear, shared discussion about the baby's health, not to force a particular decision on her.

Parents decline vitamin K for many reasons, and there is poorly evidenced material online, so I would be ready to gently address any myths.
I would stay alert to any wider concerns about her engagement with healthcare, enquiring sensitively about the pregnancy and any other children, while being careful not to sound accusatory.
Above all I would be empathetic, recognising she is a new mother only a few hours after birth.

Question

How would you open the consultation and explore her concerns?

Example answer

I would introduce myself and my role, congratulate her on the new baby, and check she knows what I have come to discuss.

I would start by asking what she already knows or understands about vitamin K, and follow up from there with open questions.
I would ask gently about the background to her concerns: her pregnancy, any previous pregnancies or children, and any other treatments she is worried about.
I would acknowledge and validate her concerns, even those outside my direct responsibility, as difficult experiences during pregnancy often surface in these conversations.

Question

How would you explain why vitamin K is offered?

Example answer

Once I had explored her concerns, I would offer clear information and respond directly to her questions.

Vitamin K is a well-evidenced, low-risk intervention offered worldwide.
It prevents vitamin K deficiency bleeding, which can occasionally cause life-threatening bleeds, particularly around the brain.
Vitamin K is essential for forming blood clots, and newborns cannot yet produce or absorb enough of it, so a one-off injection tops up the baby's supply.

Question

She asks about alternatives and what happens if she says no. How do you respond?

Example answer

I would explain the oral option honestly and set out where it differs.

Oral vitamin K can be given in divided doses: at birth, at day 4 to 7 of life, and again at day 28 if she is exclusively breastfeeding.
It carries a risk of poorer absorption, and there are practical pitfalls: babies can vomit and lose a dose, doses can be forgotten, or a prescription may not be collected.
Ultimately she can decline vitamin K in any form, and I would respect that, while being clear that this would be against medical advice.

Question

How would you wrap up the consultation?

Example answer

I would check for any remaining questions and answer them.

We may not reach a firm decision today, and that is fine: not every decision has to be made quickly.
I would offer written information to go alongside our conversation.
I would offer to come back later to discuss it again if that would help.

That's one scenario. There are over 30 more.

Actively maintained

How we keep our Question Banks up to date

The Paediatrics ST3 interview changes from year to year, and the biggest fear for any candidate is getting to interview day and realising you've revised with a question bank that's totally outdated.

That's why we review and update every Question Bank twice a year, so you know you're revising with scenarios that are likely to come up. We do this in April after the previous year's interviews, and again in the autumn when the new recruitment guidance is published.

For 2027, this process kept the Question Bank aligned with the current two-station, four-domain format, so you always practise with the structure the panel is using now.

Updated for 2027 Interviews

Part 2 • Practise them live

The only interview resource where you can practise live with other candidates from across the country

Our Paediatrics ST3 Question Bank tells you exactly how to answer real interview scenarios. But how you practise with them will determine how many marks you score. Simply reading answers off a screen won't prepare you for the intense scrutiny you'll face in the interview. And only practising with the same few colleagues or friends limits the amount of feedback you'll get. Medibuddy gives you unique access to Paediatrics ST3 candidates across the country, so you can learn from a variety of perspectives and hear a far wider range of feedback than your own circle could ever give you.

Study Groups

When you prepare in isolation, you're relying on your own interpretation of the interview process, which is one of the quickest ways to get found out on the day. Study Groups connect you with other doctors across the country who are also applying to Paediatrics ST3, so you can engage and network with people preparing for the same interview as you. Everyone brings different experience from different hospitals and deaneries, meaning you won't ever miss out on the key bits of information that could swing the interview in your favour.

Live MocksBeta

Candidates who don't take part in mocks often struggle to adapt to the pressure of the interview. Your knowledge might be correct, but without convincing delivery the interviewers will score you poorly. The best way to improve your delivery is to take part in as many live mocks as possible, which is why we haven't put a cap on how many you can do. We also know how difficult it can be to organise mocks with other people, so all you have to do is join the waiting room and we'll match you with a different Paediatrics ST3 candidate each time. Take turns as both the interviewer and candidate on real Question Bank scenarios, so you can see exactly how other candidates perform in real time, while refining your own interview technique.

Peer FeedbackBeta

Preparing alone means you won't know how you're coming across during the interview. And preparing with the same few candidates means you'll miss opportunities to improve, which is why it's so important to get as many opinions as possible on your performance. With Medibuddy, you can record a mock and submit it for feedback from other candidates on the platform, so you receive a wider range of feedback and refine your answers with each person you practise with. Reviewing other people's mocks is just as valuable, as it shows you how strong candidates handle the same scenarios, which is one of the fastest ways to improve.

The interview