ST3 Plastic Surgery Interview: The Complete Guide
The ST3 Plastic Surgery interview is the national selection interview for entry into ST3 plastic surgery training in the UK. It is one 30-minute panel interview, delivered on Qpercom, split into three timed sections. Each station is marked on the 0–5 national selection scale, and combined with your portfolio score to rank you against the other applicants. This guide covers the format, the four stations, how the marking works, and how to prepare for it.
The format at a glance
The interview is a single 30-minute station with a panel (multiple assessors, sometimes with a lay representative). It runs as three back-to-back 10-minute sections, with no breaks:
| Section | Time | What happens | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSCE & communication | 10 min | Consent (5 min) + communication / “call the boss” (5 min) | 30% |
| Clinical scenario | 10 min | Two clinical scenarios (5 min each) | 25% |
| Structured interview | 10 min | 2–3 structured questions | 25% |
| Portfolio | — | Scored separately (self-assessment, verified against evidence) | 20% |
So the interview room itself decides 80% of your score across the three sections; your portfolio makes up the remaining 20% and is assessed outside the interview.
The four stations
1. Consent (5 minutes)
You explain a planned operation to a patient — or to a parent, for a paediatric case — and answer their questions. The alternatives to surgery have already been discussed at an earlier clinic visit, so this station is specifically the procedure explanation and consent conversation. Assessors mark you on the operative environment and anaesthesia, the operative technique, the postoperative regime, the risks and complications, and your overall communication. Explain in plain language, check understanding, and avoid jargon — the “patient” will ask what a word means if you use one.
2. Communication — “call the boss” (5 minutes)
You are the on-call registrar phoning the on-call consultant about an acute case; the assessor plays the consultant receiving your call. You are marked on a clear, structured handover: introduction, history, examination, investigations planned, and a management plan — finishing with a specific ask (“I’d like you to come in,” “can this wait until morning?”). Expect push-back: a good candidate justifies the plan and the urgency rather than backing down when questioned.
3. Clinical scenario (two, 5 minutes each)
A consultant plastic surgeon works you through a case — moving from your initial assessment, to investigations, to initial and definitive management. You are expected to take a systematic approach, recognise urgency, and manage safely. A twist may be added partway through (new information, a deterioration) to see how you adapt. The two clinical scenarios are on distinct topics, drawn from areas like emergencies (necrotising fasciitis, compartment syndrome), hand trauma, burns, and skin cancer.
4. Structured interview (10 minutes, 2–3 questions)
A panellist asks structured questions on non-clinical themes — audit, research, teaching, risk and safety, leadership and management, ethics, and your commitment to the specialty. There is no single right answer here: you are assessed on the structure of your answer, your use of concrete examples, and the depth of your understanding. Have real examples ready and a framework to hang them on.
How you are scored
Every station is marked on the national selection 0–5 scale:
| Score | Band | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No evidence | Nothing creditable, or an answer unsafe enough to harm a patient. |
| 1 | Poor | Well below the expected level; major gaps in essential knowledge or approach. |
| 2 | Below average | Some relevant knowledge, but below the standard expected of an ST3 appointee. |
| 3 | Average | Meets the expected standard for ST3 entry. Appointable. |
| 4 | Good | Above average — strong knowledge, clear structure, sound reasoning. |
| 5 | Outstanding | Exceptional performance that would stand out to a real panel. |
Two rules are worth internalising. First, safety caps the score: a missed emergency, an unsafe plan, or a failure to escalate is capped at 0–1 no matter how polished the rest of the answer is. Second, needing to be prompted repeatedly pulls the mark down — the examiner is assessing what you produce on your own.
What examiners are actually looking for
Across the clinical stations, the same qualities separate a 3 from a 5:
- Safety first. Recognise the emergency, resuscitate, and escalate before anything else.
- A systematic approach. History → examination → investigations → management (before, during, and after) → rehabilitation and follow-up. Don’t jump to the operation.
- Named frameworks. Reach for the right scaffold — ATLS for trauma, EMSB / Parkland for burns, the reconstructive ladder for defect coverage — rather than improvising structure.
- Guideline awareness. Knowing the standards the specialty works to (for example BAD margins in skin cancer, BSSH for hand injuries, BOAST for open fractures, LRINEC and Sepsis Six in necrotising fasciitis) signals depth.
- Clear communication. Especially in the consent and “call the boss” stations, structure and clarity are half the mark.
What to prepare
The clinical scenarios and consent stations are drawn from the everyday plastic surgery curriculum. A sensible spread to rehearse:
- Emergencies: necrotising fasciitis, compartment syndrome, high-pressure injection injury, extravasation, free-flap compromise.
- Hand trauma: flexor tendon injury, replantation, fingertip amputation, metacarpal fracture, nerve injury.
- Burns: acute assessment, inhalation injury, escharotomy, and non-accidental injury.
- Skin cancer: BCC, SCC, melanoma, Marjolin’s ulcer, and sentinel lymph node biopsy.
- Consent procedures: from carpal tunnel release and Dupuytren’s fasciectomy to debridement for necrotising fasciitis and free-flap reconstruction.
- Structured themes: audit, research, teaching, leadership, ethics, and your commitment to plastic surgery.
How to prepare well
The single biggest gain is rehearsing out loud, under the clock, in the real format — not silently reading cases. The interview is a spoken conversation on a 5-minute timer; that pressure is where most candidates come unstuck, and it is the part you can only get comfortable with by doing it. Then get feedback against the actual marking criteria and fix the specific gaps, rather than practising what you already do well.
That is exactly what Reviva is built for: an AI examiner that runs each station in the real format, on the real clock, and scores you against the national selection criteria — so you can rehearse the whole 30-minute structure as often as you need before refining with colleagues. You can try a station for free, or see the full scenario library and mock-exam mode.
Frequently asked questions
- How long is the ST3 Plastic Surgery interview?
- It is a single 30-minute panel interview, delivered on Qpercom, split into three timed 10-minute sections: an OSCE and communication block (consent + a “call the boss” communication station), two clinical scenarios, and a structured interview.
- What stations are in the ST3 plastics interview?
- Four station types across the 30 minutes: a consent station (explaining an operation to a patient), a communication / “call the boss” station (phoning the on-call consultant), two clinical scenarios (working up a case), and a structured interview (2–3 questions on themes like audit, research, leadership and ethics).
- How is the ST3 plastics interview scored?
- Each station is marked on the national selection 0–5 scale: 0 No evidence, 1 Poor, 2 Below average, 3 Average, 4 Good, 5 Outstanding. A 3 meets the standard expected for ST3 entry (appointable). Anything clinically unsafe — a missed emergency, an unsafe plan, or a failure to escalate — is capped at 0–1 regardless of the rest. The stations contribute 80% of the overall score (OSCE 30%, clinical 25%, structured 25%); your portfolio makes up the other 20%.
- What is the “call the boss” station?
- You play the on-call registrar phoning the on-call consultant about an acute case. The panellist plays the consultant receiving the call. You are assessed on a clear, structured handover — introduction, history, examination, investigations planned, and a management plan — ending in a specific ask. Expect the “consultant” to push back and make you justify your plan.
- When are ST3 Plastic Surgery interviews held?
- For UK surgical specialty recruitment, applications typically open in November, with interviews held around February–March. Exact dates change each cycle, so confirm them on the official national recruitment portal for your year of entry.
- How should I prepare for the ST3 plastics interview?
- Rehearse out loud, under the real 5-minute clock, in the actual station format — not just reading notes. Practise recognising emergencies and escalating, working cases systematically (assessment → investigations → management), and structuring answers with named frameworks (ATLS, EMSB for burns, the reconstructive ladder). Then get feedback against the marking criteria and fix the specific gaps.
Sources. This guide is based on the published UK ST3 Plastic Surgery person specification and the national selection marking scheme (HEE national recruitment), and reflects the station format Reviva models. It is educational and for interview preparation — always confirm the current format, dates, and marking against the official national recruitment portal for your cycle.