NHS INTERVIEW GUIDE

Clinical Fellow Interview Questions: How to Prepare for Trust Grade and Locally Employed Doctor Posts

How to prepare for clinical fellow and locally employed (trust grade) doctor interviews, including first NHS posts, with 14 practice questions, a worked STAR answer, common mistakes and a plan.

Last updated 24 October 2026 · Created by a practising NHS doctor · Independent of the NHS

Quick answer

How do I prepare for a clinical fellow interview?

Read the job description and person specification, then prepare STAR examples on escalation, teamwork, a mistake and an audit or teaching session. Practise structured answers to the deteriorating patient and on-call prioritisation scenarios: assess, act within your competence, escalate early and communicate. Explain clearly why you want this post and how it fits your career plan, and show you value induction and supervision.

Key takeaways

Clinical fellow posts are locally employed doctor jobs.
Use a clear structure for clinical scenarios.
Always show early, appropriate escalation.
Explain why this post and this department.
First NHS post: show you will learn local systems.

Clinical fellow and trust grade interviews are usually short consultant-led panels that test whether you will be a safe, reliable and teachable member of the medical team. Expect questions on your clinical experience, a prioritisation or deteriorating patient scenario, teamwork, patient safety, and why you want this post and how it fits your career plans. Answer with real examples using the STAR method, and show you know your limits and when to escalate.

This guide covers clinical fellow, junior and senior clinical fellow, and other locally employed doctor posts, sometimes called trust grade jobs, including interviews for a doctor's first NHS post. It explains how these interviews usually run, what panels look for, 14 practice questions, a worked STAR answer, common mistakes and a preparation plan. Clinical content is kept at principle level, and you should always check the advert and the trust's own information.

In this guide

What is a clinical fellow or trust grade doctor post?
What happens at a clinical fellow interview?
What do panels look for in a clinical fellow candidate?
What are common clinical fellow interview questions?
How do I answer clinical scenario questions as a clinical fellow?
What is a good STAR example for a clinical fellow interview?
What are the common mistakes in clinical fellow interviews?
How do I prepare for a clinical fellow interview?
Where can I practise clinical fellow interview questions?

What is a clinical fellow or trust grade doctor post?

Clinical fellow and trust grade posts are doctor jobs employed directly by an NHS trust rather than through a national training programme. They are often called locally employed doctor posts, and they range from foundation-level and core-level service roles to senior fellow posts with protected time for teaching, research, quality improvement, leadership or simulation.

Job titles and grading vary between trusts, so read the job description closely. It should tell you the level of responsibility, the rota, the supervision available and any non-clinical time. Many doctors use these posts to gain experience, build a portfolio before applying for specialty training, or develop a special interest.

What happens at a clinical fellow interview?

Most clinical fellow interviews are a panel of one to three people, often a consultant, a clinical lead or college tutor and sometimes a medical staffing representative, lasting about 20 to 40 minutes. Many are held online.

Questions usually move from your background and motivation to clinical scenarios, then teamwork, governance and your career plans. Some trusts, especially for fellowships with a teaching or quality improvement focus, ask you to describe a project or give a short presentation. Shortlisting usually depends on your application form, so be ready to talk about anything you wrote on it.

What do panels look for in a clinical fellow candidate?

Panels look for a safe, honest doctor who will cope with the rota, work well with the team, escalate appropriately and contribute to the department. They score you against the person specification, so link your examples to its essential and desirable criteria.

Clinical safety: a structured approach to the unwell patient, such as ABCDE, and prompt escalation.
Knowing your limits: asking for senior help early and being honest about what you have and have not done.
Prioritisation: handling several tasks and bleeps at once, especially out of hours.
Teamwork and communication: working with nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals and seniors, and clear handover using a structure such as SBAR.
Professional standards: awareness of the GMC's Good Medical Practice, consent, confidentiality and duty of candour at principle level.
Governance and quality: experience of audit, quality improvement, incident reporting and learning.
Commitment and fit: a clear reason for wanting this post and this department, and how it fits your development.
Adaptability: for doctors in their first NHS post, a willingness to learn local systems, ask questions and take up induction and supervision.

What are common clinical fellow interview questions?

Expect motivation, clinical, teamwork and governance questions. These are typical practice themes for preparation, not real or leaked questions from any interview.

Tell us about yourself and your clinical experience. Give a two-minute summary focused on what is relevant to this post.
Why do you want this clinical fellow post? Link the department, the rota and any protected time to your goals.
You are on call and have three tasks at once. How do you prioritise? Sick patients first, delegate safely, communicate and escalate.
How would you assess a deteriorating patient on the ward? Use ABCDE, start initial management at your level and call for help.
Tell us about a time you escalated a concern to a senior. Show what prompted it and how you communicated it.
Describe a mistake you made and what you learned. Show honesty, patient safety actions and reflection.
What would you do if a nurse disagreed with your management plan? Listen, review the patient and involve a senior if needed.
Tell us about an audit or quality improvement project. Explain your role, the change and what happened next.
How do you handle a difficult conversation with a relative? Prepare, find a private space, listen and involve seniors when needed.
What would you do if you suspected a colleague was unsafe to work? Patient safety first, speak to them if appropriate and escalate.
How do you look after your own wellbeing on a busy rota? Be honest and practical.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Give a realistic plan, for example specialty training or a special interest.
(First NHS post) How will you adapt to working in a new healthcare system? Talk about induction, shadowing, asking questions and supervision.
What would you contribute to our department beyond clinical work? Teaching, audit, rota help or a specific interest.

How do I answer clinical scenario questions as a clinical fellow?

Answer clinical scenarios in a clear, structured order: safety, assessment, immediate actions at your level, escalation and communication. The panel is testing safe thinking under pressure, not whether you can recite every detail of a guideline.

Step 1: Clarify and triage. Gather key information and decide which patient is sickest.
Step 2: Assess systematically. Use ABCDE for an acutely unwell patient and review observations and early warning scores.
Step 3: Start initial management. Describe the first steps you would take within your competence and local guidelines.
Step 4: Escalate early. Name who you would call, such as the registrar, outreach team or consultant, and when.
Step 5: Delegate and communicate. Use the team, give clear instructions and keep relatives informed where appropriate.
Step 6: Document and hand over. Record your findings and plan, and hand over outstanding tasks safely.

What is a good STAR example for a clinical fellow interview?

A good example shows you recognising a problem, acting safely within your competence, escalating and reflecting. This one suits a question about escalation or working under pressure.

Example answer: escalating a deteriorating patient overnight (junior clinical fellow)

Situation: On a night shift covering the medical wards, a nurse bleeped me about a patient whose early warning score had risen. At the same time I had two routine tasks and a request to review a new admission.

Task: I needed to prioritise safely, assess the patient promptly and make sure the right people were involved.

Action: I asked the nurse to repeat a set of observations while I made my way, and let the other wards know my tasks would be delayed. I assessed the patient using ABCDE, found signs consistent with possible sepsis and started initial management in line with the trust's sepsis pathway. Because the patient was not responding as quickly as I expected, I called the medical registrar early, giving an SBAR handover. I also contacted the outreach team and spoke to the patient's daughter by phone to update her. I documented my assessment and plan clearly.

Result: The registrar reviewed the patient within minutes and agreed a plan, and the patient stabilised over the next few hours. I then completed my other tasks in order of priority. Afterwards I reflected with my supervisor and learned to escalate even earlier when a patient is not improving, and I now always tell other wards when I am delayed so they can flag anything urgent.

What are the common mistakes in clinical fellow interviews?

The biggest mistake is giving answers that suggest you would work beyond your competence or delay escalation. Other common mistakes are easy to avoid with preparation.

Not escalating: trying to manage a sick patient alone to look capable.
Unstructured scenario answers: jumping into treatment without assessing or prioritising.
Overstating experience: claiming skills you cannot back up when the panel asks follow-up questions.
Generic motivation: "I need NHS experience" without explaining why this post and department.
Weak governance answers: describing an audit without explaining your role or what changed.
Blaming others: in mistake or conflict questions, focus on your actions and learning.
Ignoring the team: forgetting the nurses, pharmacists and other professionals you rely on.

How do I prepare for a clinical fellow interview?

Give yourself about a week to review the job description, refresh core clinical scenarios, prepare STAR stories and practise aloud. If the post is your first NHS job, spend extra time on how the NHS works day to day, such as escalation structures, handover and incident reporting.

Step 1: Read the job description and person specification, and note the rota, supervision and any protected time.
Step 2: Research the department and trust, including its services and any recent quality improvement work it highlights.
Step 3: Review Good Medical Practice at principle level and the basics of consent, confidentiality and duty of candour.
Step 4: Practise three or four clinical scenarios aloud, such as the deteriorating patient and on-call prioritisation.
Step 5: Prepare STAR examples on escalation, teamwork, a mistake, a difficult conversation and an audit or teaching session.
Step 6: Do a timed practice with a colleague, educational supervisor or mentor, and ask for honest feedback.
Step 7: Prepare a clear career plan and two questions to ask the panel.

Where can I practise clinical fellow interview questions?

Useful free sources include the GMC's guidance and its resources for doctors new to UK practice, the BMA, your royal college, NHS Jobs interview advice, and consultants or registrars who regularly sit on interview panels. Peers who have recently started fellow posts can share what their interviews were like.

Healthcare Interview Prep is one self-study option. It covers 471 NHS roles across 11 sectors, including doctor roles, with 40 original practice questions and full written model answers each; the first 8 are free and the full bank is £4.99, one-off, for 12 months. It is independent, not affiliated with the NHS, and does not run mock interviews or live coaching, so pair it with spoken practice and feedback.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a clinical fellow and a trust grade doctor?

Both are usually locally employed doctor posts, appointed directly by a trust rather than through a national training programme. "Clinical fellow" often suggests some protected time for teaching, research, quality improvement or leadership, while "trust grade" is an older term for service-focused posts. Titles and terms vary widely between trusts, so read the job description to understand the grade, rota and supervision.

How long is a clinical fellow interview?

Many clinical fellow interviews last around 20 to 40 minutes, although some are shorter and fellowship posts with a teaching or research element may include a presentation. The panel is often one to three people, typically including a consultant. Check your invitation for the format, and be ready to discuss anything on your application form, including audits, teaching and clinical experience.

How do I prepare for my first NHS doctor interview?

Read the person specification closely, review Good Medical Practice at principle level, and practise structured answers to the deteriorating patient and on-call prioritisation scenarios. Prepare STAR examples on teamwork, escalation and a mistake. Show you understand the importance of induction, supervision and local systems, and that you will ask for help early. Practise aloud with a colleague or mentor.

What clinical scenarios come up in clinical fellow interviews?

Common practice themes include the acutely unwell or deteriorating patient, prioritising several tasks on call, a patient refusing treatment, a medication error, a concern about a colleague and a difficult conversation with relatives. Panels want a structured approach: assess, act within your competence, escalate early, communicate and document. Exact scenarios vary by specialty and trust, so check the job description.

Do clinical fellow posts help with specialty training applications?

They can. Many doctors use clinical fellow posts to gain experience, complete audits or quality improvement, teach, and build a portfolio before applying for specialty training. Posts with protected non-clinical time can be especially useful. Check the current person specifications for the training programme you are interested in, and talk to your supervisor about how the post can support your goals.

Practice question banks for related NHS roles

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Healthcare Interview Prep is an independent NHS interview preparation website. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the NHS. Example questions and answers are original practice material, not official or leaked interview questions.

Healthcare Interview Prep: practice questions and model answers for 471 NHS roles across 11 sectors, created by a practising NHS doctor.