Urology ST3 Interview Overview 2025
Urology 6th December 2024

Urology ST3 Interview Overview 2025

The Urology ST3 interview is a national selection process that will last up to 60 minutes in total. You will be assessed and scored by two Consultants.

The recruitment process for National Urology ST3 2025 will follow the timeline below as per HEE:

Activity Dates
Applications Open 14 November 2024 at 10am
Application Deadline 5 December 2024 at 4pm
Self-Assessment Uploads 2 – 9 January 2025
Interviews 27 – 28 March 2025
Initial Offers 15 April 2025 by 5pm
Holding Deadline 23 April 2025 at 1pm
Upgrade Deadline 24 April 2025 at 1pm
NB All dates and times are indicative and subject to change.

The 2025 Urology ST3 interview follows the same format as 2024, and is broken into 4 main questions.

The 4 main questions were:

  1. Outpatient Scenario – 2-minute reading time and 13-minute interview
  2. Emergency Scenario – 2-minute reading time and 13-minute interview
  3. Communication – 2-minute reading time and 13-minute interview
  4. Skills – 2-minute reading time and 13-minute interview

Stations are generally very fair, and the same questions often come up time and time again. The more you practice, the more likely you are to secure your top choice ST3 job. In addition to this blog post, to help you prepare we have compiled over 40 scenarios in our Urology ST3 Interview question bank. We have set the question bank out like the interview, to ensure you are practicing using a format as close to the real thing as possible.

Urology ST3 Portfolio/Self Assessment

Your ST3 Urology portfolio will have already been assessed prior to your interview. Once you have completed your application via Oriel, you will be asked to upload evidence, so it is vital to have all your documentation ready before starting your application. ST3 Urology portfolio tips: Start early. Send emails, make phone calls, and gather every piece of evidence you need. Remember, the more, the merrier!

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Your portfolio marks are guaranteed marks if you prepare thoroughly. Ensure you go through the ST3 Urology portfolio checklist and tick every possible box. You can find the checklist for 2025 here. Also, refer to the 2025 person specification here.

One mark could be the difference between securing a position and reapplying next year. Complete your clinical audits, attend urology-related courses, participate in teaching, and ensure your PBA’s are signed off. These are essential components of an ST3 Urology application, and every strong candidate has them.

Examiners are fair and aim to give you credit where evidence is clear. They want you to do well. Focus on high-impact elements of your portfolio, like leadership in audits, teaching experience, and excellent feedback in PBAs. Remember, a polished portfolio reflects your commitment to excelling in urology.

Boost your Urology ST3 Application by Training in Teaching

You can score up to 4 points by being involved in medical teaching. To score maximum points in this area of teaching, you must have been the principal organiser of a relevant course. You can also score Urology ST3 Application points by ‘training in teaching’, with 3 points available for an MSc or equivalent in clinical education. All you have to do for 1 extra point is attend a course like the Medibuddy Teach the Teacher course.

Option Score
MSc or equivalent in clinical education (gained since foundation) (If not already included in question 3) 3
Modular diploma in education (gained since foundation) 2
Training the trainers’ certificate or certificate in education (gained since foundation) 1

Teach the Teacher Course by Medibuddy

This two-day CPD-accredited online course will earn you 12 CPD points on completion. It’s entirely flexible, so you can complete it in two days or multiple sessions over a longer period. On completion of the course, you’ll receive a certificate for your portfolio that is accredited for CCT, interviews and appraisals.

Find out more

The Urology ST3 Interview Format

Outpatient Scenario

In this scenario at an outpatient clinic, prioritise a patient-centred approach, emphasising symptom presentation over diseases. Clearly describe your patient assessment process, including common tests, while staying focused on answering specific questions. We recommend knowledge-specific revision, focusing on symptom presentations like raised PSA or lump in scrotum. Be prepared for closed questions in the station, so provide concise initial answers and wait for cues to elaborate. We have included an example from our Urology ST3 question bank below.Urology-ST3-Question

Emergency Scenario

This question will test your ability to handle Urology emergency scenarios for the ST3 interview, assessing your approach to urgent and high-pressure clinical situations. You can draw on the knowledge you gained whilst revising for the MRCS exams. Anticipate encountering various emergency scenarios that will evaluate your teamwork, delegation, and prioritisation skills, and ensure you are demonstrating these within your answer.

Communication

In this question, you’ll be assessed on your communication skills for the ST3 Urology interview, focusing on scenarios such as breaking bad news and addressing a missed diagnosis If you can, see if you can sit in with some of your consultants when they are having difficult conversations, or ask them for advice on how to approach these situations. We also provide a list of scenarios within our question bank including tips and examples of how to approach different situations you may be asked about.

Skills

The skills scenario was reintroduced in 2023, having previously been a component of the interview prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. You will be presented with a scenario and asked multiple questions in regards to your approach. Here is an example of a Urology interview skills scenario from our question bank, to give you an idea of what to expect.

Two assessors will independently score during your interview, and there may also be a Lay Representative too.

Remember, some questions will not have a strict correct answer but as long as you can provide a thought process and sensible plan you can score maximum points. The outpatient scenarios are probably the easiest to prepare for. Learn each scenario, know exactly what you will ask in your history, how you will examine and how you will investigate. But don’t be caught out! I say this because it’s not uncommon to have to discuss stone treatment when given a scenario relating to recurrent UTI’s for example. Our detailed question bank will ensure you are adequately prepared and help you think outside the box.

Ultimately, the key to succeeding with your Urology ST3 interview preparation is to practice each station individually while maintaining a good understanding of what happens on the day. If you have any questions about the interview process, please get in touch. Good luck!

Resources:

Medibuddy Urology ST3 Interview Question Bank 

Urology ST3 Person Specification

MRCS Part A Question Bank

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