For the majority of trainees, Paediatrics training is a run-through from ST1. Entering as a Paediatrics ST3 is not the norm, and this is usually done by doctors with other paediatric experience, as you will need to evidence ST1/ST2 capabilities to apply for ST3. Applicants will also need to evidence at least 6 months each of general paediatric and neonatology, as well as having two of the three written MRCPCH exams. Despite this, competition is still very high for ST3.

This guide will provide you with everything you need to know, including in-depth information about the Paediatrics ST3 interview timeline, the structure, and the scoring process, allowing you to concentrate on performing to the best of your ability.

Note: There are currently no further recruitment windows for ST4 Paediatrics, and for 2024, the only higher level entry point will be ST3.  

Paediatrics ST3 Interview Timeline

The next recruitment round for ST3 Paediatrics is National Round 2, with posts starting in August 2024.

The application window is open from 16 November – 7 December 2023, and interviews will take place between 5 March – 8 March 2024, so there’s not much time to submit your application and prepare for the interview.

Below is a full list of the key dates that you need to be aware of:

Stage	Date
Advert appears	Wednesday 15 November 2023, by 17:00
Applications open	Thursday 16 November 2023, at 10:00
Applications close	Thursday 7 December 2023, at 16:00
Shortlisting window opens	Thursday 18 January 2024
Shortlisting window closes	Monday 12 February 2024, at 12:00
Invite to Interview & Applicant Declaration sent	Monday 19 February 2024
Deadline for Interview Booking & Applicant Declaration return	Wednesday 21 February 2024, by 16:00
Interview window opens	Tuesday 5 March 2024
Interview window closes	Friday 8 March 2024
Offers released	Thursday 11 April 2024, by 17:00
Hold deadline	Tuesday 23 April 2024, at 13:00
Upgrade deadline	Wednesday 24 April 2024, at 13:00
Paperwork must be submitted by	Wednesday 1 May 2024

Paediatrics ST3 Applications

The application form for Paediatrics ST3 will consist of a set of white-space questions covering past achievements, teaching, management and clinical experience. These questions will be used for the purpose of shortlisting for interview if the number of eligible applicants exceeds the interview capacity (in recent years, this has been well exceeded – see the Paediatrics ST3 competition ratios below for more details).

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) recommends that you read the descriptors for each section carefully and focus on providing high-quality, relevant answers and examples. Remember, depth is better than breadth – one good high-quality example or response is better than three smaller ones.

The following is a full breakdown of the areas of assessment and the available score for each:

Area of assessment	Points available
Additional qualifications	3
Clinical skills	5
Clinical experience and reflection	4
Quality Improvement Project (QIP) / Audit	4
Leadership / Management	4
Research / Academic achievements	4
Teaching	5
Supporting statement	6
Total	35

Your answers will be assessed by two clinical assessors against a set framework. As well as being used in the shortlisting process, your score will also be combined with your interview score to give you an overall recruitment score, which will determine your ranking.

For more information about the white-space questions, you can find the assessment framework and the question for each assessment area in the RCPCH’s scoring framework and guidance.

Paediatrics ST3 Interview Format

The 2024 Paediatrics ST3 interview will take place online via Qpercom. The exam will be formatted as follows:

• Two station multi scenario format
• Each station will be 17 minutes long
• The overall interview will last 55 minutes

The interview will assess you in relation to your clinical experiences and your understanding of issues relevant to working in the NHS, whilst also assessing your communication skills throughout the four domains: 

Communication

(20 marks available per Assessor, 10 minutes)

This scenario-based station will assess your ability to communicate with patients, parents and carers. You will be given a scenario 5 minutes before the start of your interview, explaining a clinical condition or reasons for intervention or transfer. After your short preparation time, you’ll be expected to act out the scenario with the role player.

The following is an example from our Paediatrics ST3 interview question bank with guidance on how to approach the communication scenario:

Reflective practice

(15 marks available per Assessor, 7 minutes)

This station assesses your understanding of reflection and your ability to use your experiences for career progression.

You’ll be asked to reflect on a significant event from your career – this can either be a positive or negative experience – and demonstrate how you will use your experiences to help you in the future.

You can expect the assessors to ask the following:

• Please could you briefly describe a significant clinical event you were involved in or observed and discuss your learning from it?
• How do you use similar reflective practice in your daily role?

Remember, this station requires you to focus on reflection. Therefore, you should avoid spending too much time explaining the event, and instead emphasise how the event has developed your practice.

Clinical thinking

(20 marks available per Assessor, 10 minutes)

This station will assess your situational judgement and clinical problem-solving skills. Before this part of the interview begins, an assessor will give you a scenario verbally. You will then have to describe how you would manage the situation, before answering a variety of follow-up questions.

An example of a clinical scenario taken from our Paediatrics ST3 interview question bank can be seen below:

Governance & leadership

(15 marks available per Assessor, 7 minutes)

This part of the interview will assess your awareness and understanding of the role of governance in the workplace, along with your ability to lead and manage situations to the level expected of an ST3 doctor. You’ll be given a scenario verbally by the assessors. This may not be directly clinical but could revolve around areas such as staffing, patient management and complaint handling.

Paediatrics ST3 Interview Scoring

For each station you will be interviewed by two clinicians who will score you independently. Therefore, there are a total of 140 marks available for the interview.

The final appointability threshold is 55% or a minimum overall score of 77 out of 140, but given the competition ratios, you need to do much better than this to secure a post, even if you are deemed appointable.

Paediatrics ST3 Competition Ratios

In 2023, there were 340 applications for Paediatrics ST3, with only 57 posts available. This means the competition ratio was 5.96, or in other words, there were almost 6 applicants for every post. There’s no doubt that the ST3 paediatrics pathway is a competitive one.

It’s also worth noting that there will be no ST4 entry for Paediatrics from 2024, and therefore, the only higher level entry point is an ST3 post. In 2023, there were 361 Paediatrics ST4 applications for 71 available posts, giving a competition ratio of 5.08. This means there were also more than 5 people applying for every post at ST4 level. Therefore, competition for ST3 Paediatrics posts may be about to get even more competitive!

Ensure you invest time into making your application the best it can be, and prepare effectively for your interview, to give yourself the best chance of securing a ST3 Paediatrics role. We designed our Paediatrics ST3 interview question bank to help you prepare as effectively as possible, with high-quality questions and explanations covering every element of the interview, and additional general preparation advice. You can find out more about the Medibuddy Paediatrics ST3 interview question bank here.

Further Reading

• Paediatrics ST3 Person Specification 
• Application Guidance