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Paediatric Cardiology ST4 • 2027 Interview

The 2027 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 Interview Revision Platform: Question Bank, Live Practice and Mocks with Other Candidates

The Medibuddy Paediatric Cardiology ST4 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 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 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 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 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 covering every part 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 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 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.

Paediatric Cardiology ST4 Revision Platform • £144.99

Gain access to over 30 scenarios covering every part of the interview, and collaborate with other candidates through Study Groups, Live Mocks and Peer Feedback.
Get instant access
What candidates say

Scored well, secured their post

A few of the candidates who prepared with us for the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview.

Verified candidateInterviewed 2026
"The clinical scenarios were pitched exactly right. Having a structure ready meant I could work through a critically unwell neonate calmly under pressure."
Secured first-choice deanery
Verified candidateInterviewed 2026
"Practising the suitability questions out loud with other candidates was the single most useful thing I did before the day."
Ranked highly
Part 1 • See the questions

The Medibuddy 2027 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 Question Bank

The interview covers clinical scenarios and structured suitability questions, and 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-plus scenarios comes with a model answer, written by candidates who scored highly in the 2026 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview, so you know exactly how to approach every question the interviewers throw your way.
What's inside

What's included in the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 Question Bank

There's nothing worse than getting to the interview and being handed a scenario you've never seen before. The panel draws on clinical scenarios, your clinical knowledge and your suitability for the specialty, 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.

Clinical Scenarios

Congenital and acquired heart disease cases where you play the registrar, each with a worked answer using a stem and subsidiary questions like the real station.

Suitability for Appointment

Structured questions on your suitability for appointment and your motivation for the specialty, with example questions and model answers.
Reflecting how paediatric cardiology is really assessed
The interview tests clinical acumen through scenarios with a stem and subsidiary questions, alongside your suitability for appointment. Our model answers are built around exactly that, with communication running throughout.
Try it

Try an example Paediatric Cardiology ST4 question

You are the paediatric cardiology ST4 registrar at a tertiary centre. A 3.2 kg male neonate, born at 39 weeks by emergency caesarean for fetal distress, is transferred at 18 hours of life. The referring team started prostaglandin E1 after a pre-ductal saturation of 65% in air failed to rise above 70% on high-flow oxygen.

On arrival he is centrally cyanosed with moderate subcostal recession, a single loud second heart sound, no murmur, and palpable femoral pulses. His ECG shows normal neonatal right ventricular dominance.

How would you approach this?

Question
How would you assess this neonate on arrival?
Example answer
This is a critically cyanosed neonate on prostaglandin, so I would assess rapidly and systematically, alongside resuscitation.
  • History: the antenatal anomaly scan and fetal echo, maternal diabetes, the perinatal course, the onset and progression of cyanosis and its response to oxygen, and the prostaglandin dose and any instability during transfer.
  • Examination: the degree of central cyanosis, work of breathing and perfusion; a cardiovascular exam noting the single S2 typical of TGA; and four-limb pulse oximetry and blood pressures to exclude coarctation.
  • The hyperoxia test result: a PaO2 remaining below 150 confirms cyanotic congenital heart disease.
Question
What is the likely diagnosis and the underlying haemodynamic problem?
Example answer
The most likely diagnosis is D-transposition of the great arteries with an intact ventricular septum.
  • The aorta arises from the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery from the left, creating two parallel circulations rather than a normal series circuit.
  • Survival depends entirely on mixing between them, which can occur at atrial, ventricular or ductal level.
  • Severe cyanosis occurs when mixing is inadequate, especially when the atrial communication is restrictive and the duct is closing.
  • Prostaglandin maintains ductal patency to augment mixing, but with a restrictive PFO this may be insufficient and the infant deteriorates.
Question
You perform a bedside echocardiogram. What key features would you look for?
Example answer
I would use a systematic segmental analysis.
  • Confirm situs, atrioventricular concordance, and the defining feature of TGA, ventriculo-arterial discordance, with the great arteries running in parallel.
  • Assess the communications: the size and restriction of the atrial communication (a mean gradient above 5 suggests it is restrictive), any VSD, and the ductus.
  • Assess left ventricular geometry and function, as the LV must be prepared to take on the systemic circulation.
  • Define the coronary artery origins, which are crucial for planning the arterial switch.
Question
The echo confirms a restrictive PFO (gradient 8) with a constricting duct, and sats are 55% despite prostaglandin. What is needed urgently, and how?
Example answer
An emergency balloon atrial septostomy (the Rashkind procedure) is needed immediately to create a non-restrictive atrial communication and improve mixing.
  • Preparation: intubate and ventilate given the hypoxia, correct significant acidosis, secure access and take emergency consent, explaining it is life-saving.
  • Procedure: performed at the cot side under continuous echo guidance, via the umbilical or femoral vein. A balloon catheter is passed across the PFO into the left atrium, inflated, and withdrawn briskly across the septum to tear the fossa ovalis, repeated until the communication is non-restrictive.
  • After: reassess saturations, aiming for around 75 to 85%, and repeat the echo to confirm an adequate defect and exclude complications.
Question
What are the potential complications of balloon atrial septostomy?
Example answer
It is life-saving but not risk-free.
  • Immediate: balloon rupture with fragment embolism, tricuspid or mitral valve trauma, pulmonary vein injury, cardiac perforation and tamponade, air embolism, and transient arrhythmia.
  • After the procedure: an inadequate or restenosing atrial communication needing repeat septostomy, stroke, and haemorrhage at the access site.
Continuous echo guidance and careful technique reduce these risks.
Question
After a successful septostomy, sats improve to 80%. What is the definitive repair, its timing, and the long-term complications?
Example answer
The definitive repair is the arterial switch operation (the Jatene procedure), correcting the discordance anatomically.
  • Timing: within the first two weeks (ideally days 5 to 14) for an intact septum, before the left ventricle de-conditions against low pulmonary resistance and can no longer support the systemic circulation.
  • Pre-operative: serial assessment of LV geometry and pressure, careful coronary mapping (unusual patterns raise the risk), continuing prostaglandin, and discussing the excellent prognosis, over 97% 30-day survival in high-volume centres.
  • Long-term: coronary ostial stenosis, neo-aortic root dilatation and regurgitation, supravalvar pulmonary stenosis, and neurodevelopmental sequelae, so lifelong cardiology follow-up is essential.

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

Paediatric Cardiology ST4 Revision Platform • £144.99

Includes every scenario in the Question Bank, and access to Study Groups, Live Mocks with other candidates and Peer Feedback.
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Actively maintained

How we keep our Question Banks up to date

The Paediatric Cardiology ST4 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 online format, across the clinical scenarios and structured suitability questions, so you always practise with the format 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 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 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 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 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 Paediatric Cardiology ST4, 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 Paediatric Cardiology ST4 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

What to expect from the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview

Paediatric cardiology is a small, competitive subspecialty, and strong applicants are often separated by narrow margins at interview.

Assessed

Clinical Scenarios

Congenital and acquired heart disease scenarios with a stem and subsidiary questions, assessing your clinical judgement and safe, structured management.
Assessed

Suitability for Appointment

Structured questions that assess your career history and training. Go beyond listing achievements and show how your experience has prepared you.

How the interview is scored

The interview is marked against the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 person specification, across your clinical acumen and your suitability for appointment. Our model answers are structured against those criteria, so you know exactly what a strong, well-organised answer looks like.
Get ready

How to prepare for the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview

Start with the Question Bank

Work through over 30 scenarios covering every part of the interview, each with a worked answer from a candidate who scored well in the 2026 interview. Start by reading how a strong answer is formed, then think about how you'd deliver it.

Talk the hard ones through in Study Groups

Study Groups are your biggest opportunity to network and connect with other candidates sitting the same interview as you. Everyone on the platform is in the same boat, so don't be scared to get involved and ask questions. Someone in your study group might just help you work through a scenario you've been struggling with.

Rehearse out loud in Live Mocks

Live mocks are where you begin to put everything you've learned into practice, and we know from experience that those who practise with a wide range of candidates usually do the best. Organise mocks with people from one of your study groups, or get matched with a random Paediatric Cardiology ST4 candidate, then take turns as interviewer and candidate using real scenarios until answering out loud under pressure feels normal.

Get reviewed with Peer Feedback before the day

Once you've recorded a mock, you can have other community members review it. This lets you see how you come across to other people, and gives you time to refine your delivery as you revise, rather than being caught out on the day. Reviewing other people's mocks is just as crucial, as you see how other candidates navigate the same scenarios.
Questions

Frequently asked questions

What does the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview involve?
An online interview assessing your suitability for appointment through structured questions, and your clinical acumen and experience through clinical scenarios with a stem and subsidiary questions.
How competitive is the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview?
Paediatric cardiology is a small, competitive subspecialty, and strong candidates are frequently separated by small margins at interview, which is why a structured, well-rehearsed approach matters.
Who writes the model answers?
High-scoring candidates who sat the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview in 2026, so the answers reflect what came up and what scored this year.
Can I practise with other candidates?
Yes. Every Revision Platform purchase gives you the opportunity to connect with other candidates through Study Groups, Live Mocks and Peer Feedback.
How do the Live Mocks work?
All you have to do is join the waiting room, and we match you with another Paediatric Cardiology ST4 candidate. You then take turns as interviewer and candidate on real Question Bank scenarios, so you gain experience answering out loud to a real person before you ever sit in front of the panel.
What are Study Groups and how do they help?
Study Groups are community forums for doctors across the country preparing for the same Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview. You can ask questions, share what you're struggling with, and compare how you'd approach a scenario.
Can I get feedback on my interview performance?
Yes. After you've recorded a mock, you can ask other members to review it, so you can see which part of your answer needs fine-tuning.
How do you keep the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 Question Bank up to date?
We review and update it twice a year: in April after that year's interviews, and again in the autumn when the new recruitment guidance is published, so you always practise with the current format.
How long do I get access for?
Access runs for 12 months from the purchase date.

Start preparing for the Paediatric Cardiology ST4 interview

The Revision Platform gives you over 30 scenarios to practise and refine with other candidates through Study Groups, Live Mocks and Peer Feedback.

Paediatric Cardiology ST4 Revision Platform • £144.99

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