Clinical Teaching Fellow Interview Questions & Answers

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

Quick answer

What questions are asked in an NHS Clinical Teaching Fellow interview?

NHS Clinical Teaching Fellow interviews usually mix values-based questions with scenarios specific to the role. Typical themes include motivation for medical education, bedside teaching, small group teaching, large group teaching, simulation and debriefing and OSCE preparation and examining. Every interview panel writes its own questions, so practise the themes rather than memorising answers. The 8 free questions on this page cover a spread of them.

 

At a glance

• Role: Clinical Teaching Fellow (NHS Medical and Dental)

• Questions: 40 original practice questions, each with a full model answer

• Free to read: the first 8 questions and answers on this page

• Full bank: £4.99, 12 months of access, no subscription

• Independent: not affiliated with or endorsed by the NHS

 

Read 8 questions in full, free, and see exactly what you get before you pay. Unlock the other 32 for £4.99. One payment, 12 months of access, no subscription. Secure checkout through Stripe.

These are original practice questions written to reflect how NHS interviews are run. They are not leaked or official questions, and Healthcare Interview Prep is independent of the NHS.

 

 

Free NHS interview questions and model answers

 

 

Question 1: Why do you want to be a clinical teaching fellow, and why here?

Motivation question  ·  Motivation

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel wants a genuine reason for choosing medical education at this stage of your career, not a year out by default. They are checking you understand the post, the medical school link and the local teaching programme, and that you will commit to both the clinical and educational sides.

 

Model answer

I think the honest answer starts in my second foundation year. We had a final-year student attached to our firm on a respiratory ward, and she was bright but completely lost on ward rounds. One afternoon I sat with her and a patient with an exacerbation of COPD and we worked through the blood gas together, not by me lecturing, but by asking her what she thought was happening and why. Two weeks later she presented a new admission to the registrar, clearly and with a sensible plan, and she told me that afternoon was the first time it had clicked. I found that more satisfying than almost anything else I did that year.

Since then I have looked for teaching deliberately. I ran the weekly bedside teaching for students on my rotation, helped as a facilitator in our simulation centre, and examined at a mock OSCE. What I have realised is that I enjoy teaching, but I also want to get better at it in a structured way, which is why a post with a funded PG Cert in medical education matters to me. I want to understand why some sessions work and others do not, rather than relying on instinct.

As for this post, I have read the job description closely and spoke to the current fellow. I know you host students from the third year onwards, that the fellows run the clinical skills and simulation programme alongside a share of the undergraduate timetable, and that there is a protected clinical commitment on the medical rota. I like that balance. I want to stay a credible clinician, because students learn as much from watching how you talk to a patient as from any tutorial.

I am also realistic. I know there will be weeks where the ward is short and teaching gets squeezed, and that some of the work is unglamorous, like timetabling and chasing assessment forms. But I want to finish this year as a better doctor and a properly trained educator, and I would like to do that in a department that clearly takes teaching seriously.

 

Why this answer works

This answer opens with one specific teaching moment that shows the candidate enjoys learning happening in someone else, then shows a track record of seeking out teaching. It proves research into the actual post and acknowledges the less exciting parts of the job. Replace the respiratory ward story with your own moment, and name the real features of the post you are applying for.

 

Key points to include

• A specific, personal moment that sparked your interest in teaching
• Evidence that you have already sought teaching opportunities
• Knowledge of the post: medical school link, programme, clinical split
• Why structured training such as a PG Cert matters to you
• Realistic expectations about workload and administration

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Presenting the post as a break from training or a gap year
• Talking only about what you will gain, such as a qualification for your CV
• Giving an answer that could apply to any teaching fellow job in the country
• Ignoring the clinical commitment entirely

 

NHS values and standards

Commitment to quality of care; Improving lives; Everyone counts. GMC Good Medical Practice: Knowledge, skills and development.

 

Further reading

• GMC Good Medical Practice
• GMC Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training
• Academy of Medical Educators Professional Standards
• NHS Constitution for England

 

 

Question 2: How would you plan and run a bedside teaching session for a small group of students on a busy medical ward?

Scenario question  ·  Bedside teaching

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel is assessing whether you can deliver practical, safe bedside teaching that respects patients, fits around ward work and has clear learning outcomes. They want to hear about patient consent, preparation, group management, involving every student and closing the session with feedback.

 

Model answer

I would start the day before by checking the students' level and what they are covering in their curriculum, so the session matches what they need rather than what I happen to find interesting. If they are third years on a cardiorespiratory block, for example, I might aim for two clear outcomes: examining a patient with a murmur, and presenting findings concisely.

On the morning, I would speak to the nurse in charge first. They know who is unwell, who is going to a scan and who would genuinely enjoy the company. I would then approach two or three patients myself, explain who the students are and what we would like to do, make it clear they can say no or stop at any time without it affecting their care, and record that consent was given in line with local practice. I would avoid patients who are acutely unwell, near the end of life or waiting for difficult news.

With four students, I would brief them away from the bedside about what we are doing and what each person's role is. One examines while the others each watch for something specific, such as the order of the examination or how the student explains things to the patient. At the bedside, I keep the focus on the patient, keep discussion of sensitive findings for afterwards, and make sure the curtains are drawn and the patient is covered appropriately. I thank the patient properly at the end.

Then we go somewhere quiet, ideally a seminar room rather than the corridor, and debrief. I ask the examining student what went well and what they would change, then the observers, then I add my own points and link the findings back to the underlying physiology. I finish by asking each student for one thing they will practise before next week. Afterwards I collect brief feedback so I can adjust future sessions, and I make sure I have not left the ward team short while I was teaching.

 

Why this answer works

This works because it walks through the whole session in a logical order: preparation, patient consent, structure at the bedside, dignity, debrief and evaluation. It shows respect for nurses and patients as well as students. Use a real session you have run, and mention the specific examination or topic you taught.

 

Key points to include

• Set clear outcomes matched to the curriculum and students' stage
• Liaise with the nurse in charge before choosing patients
• Gain and respect patient consent, including the right to stop
• Give observing students a defined task
• Debrief away from the bedside and close with action points

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Arriving on the ward without checking with nursing staff
• Discussing diagnoses or prognosis in front of the patient
• Letting one confident student dominate the session
• Ending without any feedback or summary

 

NHS values and standards

Respect and dignity; Compassion; Working together for patients. GMC Good Medical Practice: Patients, partnership and communication.

 

Further reading

• GMC Good Medical Practice
• GMC Decision making and consent
• GMC Outcomes for graduates
• GMC Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training

 

 

Question 3: Can you tell us about a time you had to give difficult feedback to a learner?

Competency question  ·  Feedback

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel wants to see whether you can give honest, specific feedback that a learner can act on, while protecting the relationship and the learner's confidence. They are looking for preparation, a private setting, a clear structure, an agreed plan and follow-up.

 

Model answer

During my F2 year I was supervising a fourth-year student on a surgical placement. She was keen and popular with the team, but when I observed her taking a history from an older man with abdominal pain, she interrupted him repeatedly, used a lot of jargon and missed that he lived alone and was struggling at home. Her technical knowledge was good, so I suspected nobody had pointed this out before.

I asked if she had twenty minutes after the ward round and we used the doctors' office with the door closed. I started by asking how she felt the history had gone. She said she thought it was fine and that she had covered everything. I said I agreed her questions about the pain were thorough, and gave her a specific example of a good question she had asked. Then I said there were two things I wanted to discuss, and described exactly what I had seen: she had interrupted the patient four times in the first two minutes, and she had not asked about his social situation, which mattered for his discharge.

She was quiet for a moment and then a bit defensive, saying the consultants did the same. I acknowledged that clinical histories are often rushed on a busy ward, but explained that her OSCE examiners and her future patients would expect her to listen first. I asked her what she thought might help. We agreed she would try opening with an open question and staying quiet for the first minute, and that I would observe her again later that week.

When I watched her a few days later, the difference was clear and I told her so. She later thanked me in her placement feedback. What I learnt was that being specific and describing behaviour rather than personality makes difficult feedback much easier to hear, and that following up is what turns feedback into change.

 

Why this answer works

The answer follows a clear STAR shape with a believable example. It shows the candidate preparing, choosing a private setting, starting with the learner's own view, describing observed behaviour rather than judging, handling defensiveness calmly and following up. Swap in your own example, ideally one where you can describe the learner's improvement.

 

Key points to include

• Choose a private setting and an appropriate time
• Ask for the learner's self-assessment first
• Describe specific behaviour and its impact, not personality
• Handle defensiveness calmly and agree a plan together
• Follow up and reinforce improvement

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing an example where the feedback was not genuinely difficult
• Being vague about what the learner actually did
• Giving feedback in public or in front of patients
• Stopping the story before any follow-up or outcome

 

NHS values and standards

Respect and dignity; Commitment to quality of care; Everyone counts. GMC Good Medical Practice: Colleagues, culture and safety.

 

Further reading

• GMC Good Medical Practice
• GMC Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training
• Academy of Medical Educators Professional Standards

 

 

Question 4: A medical student on your placement has become withdrawn, has missed several teaching sessions and seems to be struggling. What would you do?

Scenario question  ·  Struggling students

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel is assessing how you identify and support a struggling learner with compassion, while understanding your responsibilities to the medical school and to patient safety. They want to hear a supportive conversation, signposting, appropriate escalation through the medical school's processes and clear boundaries about your role.

 

Model answer

My first thought would be that missed sessions and a change in behaviour are usually a sign of something, not the problem itself. It could be health, a bereavement, financial or housing pressures, a difficulty with the placement, or a mixture. So I would want to talk to the student before drawing any conclusions.

I would find a private moment, perhaps after a session, and say something like: I have noticed you have not been at the last few teaching sessions and you seem a bit quieter than earlier in the placement, and I wanted to check how you are doing. Then I would mostly listen. I would be clear early on about confidentiality, that I would keep what they tell me private unless I was worried about their safety or patient safety, in which case I would need to involve others, and that I would tell them first.

What I do next depends on what they tell me. If there is a health or personal issue, I would signpost them to their personal tutor, the medical school's student support service and occupational health, and to their GP. If they disclose thoughts of self-harm, I would not leave them alone with that; I would follow the urgent pathway and involve the appropriate support that day. If it is a placement issue, such as feeling unwelcome on a team, that is something I can help fix directly.

I would also be honest that attendance is monitored and that the medical school has processes, often a cause for concern form, which exist to get students support rather than to punish them. I would encourage the student to contact their tutor themselves, and agree that I would let the placement lead know too. I would document the conversation factually.

Finally, I would follow up a week later. A struggling student often needs to hear that someone has noticed and cares, and that early help is far better than reaching the end of the placement with an unsatisfactory sign-off.

 

Why this answer works

This answer avoids assumptions, starts with a supportive conversation, explains the limits of confidentiality, and uses the medical school's own support and concern processes. It covers risk, documentation and follow-up without overstepping the fellow's role. Use an example from your own experience of supporting a learner if you have one.

 

Key points to include

• Treat absence and withdrawal as a sign that needs exploring
• Have a private, non-judgemental conversation and listen
• Explain the limits of confidentiality
• Signpost to tutor, student support, occupational health and GP
• Use the medical school's cause for concern process and document
• Follow up

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Jumping straight to disciplinary action or reporting poor attendance
• Trying to act as the student's counsellor or doctor
• Promising complete confidentiality
• Ignoring possible risk to the student's safety

 

NHS values and standards

Compassion; Everyone counts; Respect and dignity. GMC Good Medical Practice: Colleagues, culture and safety.

 

Further reading

• GMC Supporting medical students with mental health conditions
• GMC Professional behaviour and fitness to practise: guidance for medical schools and their students
• GMC Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training

Found these useful? The other 32 questions cover the rest of the role, each with a full model answer. Unlock all 40 for £4.99.

 

 

Question 5: What does professionalism mean to you, and how would you role model it for medical students?

Values question  ·  Professionalism

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel wants to know that you understand professionalism as everyday behaviour, not just rules, and that you appreciate students learn from what you do as much as what you teach. They are listening for honesty, respect, reliability and awareness of the hidden curriculum.

 

Model answer

To me, professionalism is mostly about the small things you do when you think nobody is watching. It is introducing yourself to a patient by name, washing your hands without being reminded, being honest when you do not know something, and speaking about colleagues and patients respectfully in the doctors' room as well as at the bedside. It is also being reliable: turning up to the teaching session you promised, on time and prepared.

Students are very sensitive to the gap between what we say and what we do. If I teach a session on consent in the morning and then they watch me rush a patient through a form on the ward round in the afternoon, they learn the second lesson, not the first. So I think role modelling is a big part of this job, possibly the most important part.

In practice, I try to make my thinking visible. On a ward round with students, I might say out loud why I am sitting down to talk to a family rather than standing, or why I am going back to apologise to a patient whose scan was delayed. I am also open about my own uncertainty, for example saying I want to check a guideline before deciding, because I want students to see that checking is good practice, not weakness.

I also think professionalism means looking after yourself and each other. I take breaks where I can and I am honest if I am finding something difficult, because I do not want students to learn that the good doctor is the one who never eats lunch and never asks for help.

Finally, if I see unprofessional behaviour, whether from a student or a colleague, I have to address it appropriately. If I let a disrespectful comment about a patient pass in front of students, I have effectively taught them that it is acceptable.

 

Why this answer works

This answer turns an abstract question into concrete behaviours, then links them directly to role modelling and the hidden curriculum without using jargon. It also covers wellbeing and challenging poor behaviour, which panels value. Add one personal example of a doctor whose professionalism influenced you, or a moment where you deliberately modelled good practice.

 

Key points to include

• Professionalism is shown in everyday behaviour
• Students learn from what they see, not just what you say
• Make your reasoning and values visible to learners
• Be honest about uncertainty and limitations
• Model sustainable working and wellbeing
• Address unprofessional behaviour when you see it

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Reciting a list of rules from guidance without any personal reflection
• Defining professionalism only as appearance or punctuality
• Ignoring the influence of informal behaviour on students
• Claiming you never make mistakes

 

NHS values and standards

Respect and dignity; Compassion; Commitment to quality of care. GMC Good Medical Practice: Trust and professionalism.

 

Further reading

• GMC Good Medical Practice
• GMC Achieving good medical practice: guidance for medical students
• NHS Constitution for England

 

 

Question 6: How would you work with busy ward teams and consultants to make sure students are welcomed and get good teaching on placement?

Leadership question  ·  Teamwork

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel is assessing your ability to build relationships with clinical colleagues who may see students as extra work. They want to see that you understand ward pressures, can make teaching easy for others to deliver, communicate clearly and use feedback to improve the student experience.

 

Model answer

I would start by recognising that most clinicians want to teach but are short of time, and that students can feel invisible on a busy ward. So my job is partly to make teaching easier for everyone else.

Early on, I would introduce myself to the consultants, the ward managers and the registrars on the wards where students are placed. I would ask them what works and what gets in the way. Often the answers are practical: nobody knows which students are coming, or the students arrive at handover when the team cannot stop. Fixing that might be as simple as sending a short email to each team at the start of a block, with names, year group and the learning outcomes for that placement.

I would also give students clear expectations, so they arrive at the right time, introduce themselves to the nurse in charge, and know which tasks they can help with, such as clerking new admissions or observing procedures. When students are useful and polite, teams tend to welcome them more. I would encourage them to ask for workplace-based assessments at sensible moments, not in the middle of a crash call.

For the nursing staff, I would make sure they know they can contact me if there is a problem, and I would value their input, because nurses, pharmacists and therapists can offer excellent teaching that students often miss.

Finally, I would close the loop. I would share positive student feedback with teams, because consultants and registrars rarely hear when their teaching made a difference, and I would raise problems constructively with the placement lead. In my last post, a short monthly email thanking teams by name for specific teaching made a noticeable difference to how keen they were to take students the following block.

 

Why this answer works

This answer shows empathy for clinical teams and turns it into practical actions: clear communication, student preparation, involving the multidisciplinary team and giving positive feedback. The final example adds credibility. Replace it with your own experience of supporting a placement or of a team that taught you well, and be ready to say what changed as a result.

 

Key points to include

• Understand the pressures on clinical teams
• Communicate clearly about which students are coming and why
• Prepare students so they add value rather than burden
• Involve nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals
• Share positive feedback and raise problems constructively

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Blaming clinicians for not teaching
• Assuming teaching is solely the fellow's job
• Ignoring the role of nursing and other staff
• Offering no practical ideas

 

NHS values and standards

Working together for patients; Respect and dignity; Commitment to quality of care. GMC Good Medical Practice: Colleagues, culture and safety.

 

Further reading

• GMC Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training
• GMC Leadership and management for all doctors
• GMC National Training Survey

 

 

Question 7: During a simulation session, a student freezes in the scenario and becomes tearful in the debrief. How would you handle this?

Scenario question  ·  Simulation

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel wants to see that you understand psychological safety in simulation, can manage distress sensitively in a group setting and still achieve learning. They are listening for pre-briefing, a supportive debrief, a private follow-up and awareness of when a student needs more support.

 

Model answer

I think the first thing to say is that good simulation should feel safe to fail in, and that starts before anyone walks into the room. In my pre-brief, I always explain that the scenario is designed to be challenging, that nobody is being assessed, that what happens in the session stays in the room, and that anyone can pause if they need to. That framing makes moments like this less likely and easier to manage.

If a student froze during an acute scenario, such as a deteriorating patient, I would let it run briefly to see if they recovered, and if not, I would use an in-scenario prompt, for example a nurse confederate asking whether they should call for help. The aim is to get them moving, not to leave them stuck in front of their peers.

In the debrief, if the student became tearful, I would acknowledge it gently and normalise it: freezing is a very common, very human response to stress, and many experienced doctors have done it. I would give them a choice to take a moment outside with a co-facilitator or to stay, and I would move the discussion away from them as an individual. I would focus the group on the system: what helped, what got in the way, and what tools such as ABCDE and calling for help early can do when your mind goes blank.

After the session I would speak to the student privately. I would ask how they were feeling, check whether the scenario had triggered something personal, perhaps a real event, and make sure they had support. If there was something more significant, I would signpost to their tutor and student support.

I would also reflect with my co-facilitators on whether the scenario was pitched at the right level and whether the pre-brief needed adjusting.

 

Why this answer works

The answer starts with prevention through the pre-brief, then shows in-scenario management, a compassionate group debrief and private follow-up. It recognises that distress can relate to real experiences and links to support services. If you have facilitated simulation, describe a real moment, and mention the debriefing approach you were trained in.

 

Key points to include

• Pre-brief to create psychological safety
• Use in-scenario prompts to help a stuck learner
• Normalise the stress response in the debrief
• Offer choice and avoid singling the student out
• Follow up privately and signpost if needed
• Review scenario design with co-facilitators

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Pushing on with the debrief as if nothing happened
• Focusing on the student's mistakes in front of the group
• Not checking whether the scenario triggered a real past event
• Forgetting the importance of the pre-brief

 

NHS values and standards

Compassion; Respect and dignity; Commitment to quality of care. GMC Good Medical Practice: Colleagues, culture and safety.

 

Further reading

• ASPiH Standards for Simulation-Based Education
• Health Education England National Framework for Simulation Based Education
• Resuscitation Council UK Immediate Life Support

 

 

Question 8: A student tells you that a junior doctor asked them to prescribe a medication using the doctor's own login. What would you do?

Scenario question  ·  Raising concerns

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel is assessing your understanding of patient safety, professional boundaries for medical students and your duty to act on concerns. They want to see you check patient safety first, support the student, address the issue proportionately with the doctor and escalate through the right channels.

 

Model answer

This is a serious patient safety issue, so I would deal with it the same day. Medical students cannot prescribe, and using another person's login undermines the whole audit trail of who did what for a patient.

First, I would thank the student for telling me, because it takes courage, and reassure them that they did the right thing. I would find out the facts calmly: when it happened, which patient and ward, what was prescribed, and whether they actually did it or declined. I would be careful not to make them feel they are in trouble, but I would be honest that we need to act.

My immediate priority would be the patient. If a prescription had been entered, I would check with the ward team and pharmacist that it had been reviewed and was appropriate, and whether it had been given. If there was any concern about harm, I would make sure the responsible consultant knew straight away.

Then I would speak to the junior doctor. Often this kind of thing happens because someone is overwhelmed rather than malicious, so I would approach it as a conversation, not an accusation. I would explain why it is unsafe and makes them accountable for something they did not check, and ask what pressures led to it. Regardless of the conversation, I would follow trust policy, which usually means completing an incident report and informing the doctor's educational or clinical supervisor, and I would let the student's placement lead and the medical school know as well.

Finally, I would use it as a learning point more broadly, without naming anyone. A short reminder in student induction about what they can and cannot do, and how to say no politely to a senior, is useful. I would also check on the student afterwards, because being put in that position can be stressful and they need to know they were right to speak up.

 

Why this answer works

This answer prioritises the patient, supports the student who raised the concern, deals fairly but firmly with the doctor and uses formal routes such as incident reporting and supervisors. It also turns the event into wider learning. If you have handled a boundary or safety concern involving a student, use it to show the same steps.

 

Key points to include

• Recognise the immediate patient safety and governance risk
• Thank and reassure the student
• Check the patient and the prescription first
• Speak to the doctor and understand the pressures
• Follow trust policy: incident report, supervisors, medical school
• Turn it into wider learning and follow up with the student

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating it as a minor administrative issue
• Blaming the student or discouraging future concerns
• Handling it informally with no record or escalation
• Forgetting to check whether the patient came to harm

 

NHS values and standards

Commitment to quality of care; Working together for patients; Respect and dignity. GMC Good Medical Practice: Colleagues, culture and safety.

 

Further reading

• GMC Raising and acting on concerns about patient safety
• GMC Achieving good medical practice: guidance for medical students
• GMC Good Medical Practice
• NHS England Freedom to Speak Up

 

 

Ready for the other 32?

You have seen how the model answers work. Unlock the full Clinical Teaching Fellow bank to practise every theme the panel might ask about, with the mistakes to avoid spelled out for each one.

 

 

 

About this NHS interview question bank

To prepare for a clinical teaching fellow interview, practise talking through real teaching situations out loud: planning bedside teaching on a busy ward, running and debriefing a simulation scenario, preparing students for OSCEs, giving difficult feedback and supporting a student who is struggling or raising a professionalism concern. Panels will also ask how you will balance clinical work with teaching, evaluate your sessions, use your PG Cert in medical education and keep patients safe and respected when they are involved in teaching, so prepare honest examples from your foundation years that show enthusiasm, structure and reflection.

This bank is for doctors applying for clinical teaching fellow and medical education fellow posts, usually after the foundation programme or at a similar grade, where the role combines undergraduate teaching with a clinical commitment. Each question includes a first-person model answer, what the panel is assessing, key points to cover, common mistakes, the NHS values and GMC domains it links to, and further reading. Themes include bedside and small group teaching, simulation and debriefing, OSCEs and workplace-based assessment, feedback, struggling and disabled learners, professionalism concerns, inclusive and online teaching, evaluating teaching, quality improvement, the PG Cert in medical education, balancing clinical work, appraisal and revalidation.

 

What this question bank covers

• Motivation for medical education
• Bedside teaching
• Small group teaching
• Large group teaching
• Simulation and debriefing
• OSCE preparation and examining
• Workplace-based assessment
• Giving feedback
• Struggling students
• Professionalism concerns
• Reasonable adjustments
• Inclusive teaching
• Online teaching
• Evaluating teaching
• Quality improvement in education
• PG Cert in medical education
• Balancing clinical work
• Appraisal and revalidation

 

 

Clinical Teaching Fellow NHS interview: frequently asked questions

 

What questions are asked in an NHS Clinical Teaching Fellow interview?

NHS Clinical Teaching Fellow interviews usually mix values-based questions with scenarios specific to the role. Typical themes include motivation for medical education, bedside teaching, small group teaching, large group teaching, simulation and debriefing and OSCE preparation and examining. Every interview panel writes its own questions, so practise the themes rather than memorising answers. The 8 free questions on this page cover a spread of them.

 

What band is an NHS Clinical Teaching Fellow job?

The questions on this page are pitched mainly at Post-foundation doctors (FY3 to ST3 equivalent, clinical fellow grade) posts. The band for any job depends on the trust and the responsibilities of the post, so always check the advert and job description. Higher bands bring more questions on leadership, supervising others and improving the service.

 

How should I prepare for an NHS Clinical Teaching Fellow interview?

Read the job description and person specification closely, then prepare five or six real examples you can tell using the STAR method (situation, task, action, result). Revise GMC Good Medical Practice (or the GDC Standards for dental roles), consent and capacity, safeguarding, the duty of candour and patient safety. Research the trust's own values and the service you would join, and practise your answers out loud before the day.

 

Which NHS values and standards should I mention in a Clinical Teaching Fellow interview?

Link your examples to the NHS values from the NHS Constitution, such as compassion, respect and dignity, and working together for patients. For this role, panels will also expect you to understand GMC Good Medical Practice (or the GDC Standards for dental roles), consent and capacity, safeguarding, the duty of candour and patient safety. Show these through what you actually did rather than reciting lists.

 

Are these real NHS Clinical Teaching Fellow interview questions?

No. They are original practice questions written to reflect how NHS Clinical Teaching Fellow interviews are typically run. Healthcare Interview Prep is independent and not affiliated with the NHS, and nobody can promise which questions you will be asked. Use the model answers to learn structure and content, then build answers from your own experience.

 

What do I get if I unlock the full Clinical Teaching Fellow question bank?

You get all 40 Clinical Teaching Fellow practice questions. Each one has what the panel is assessing, a model answer, why the answer works, key points to include, common mistakes and the NHS values it links to. It is a one-off payment of £4.99 for 12 months' access, with no subscription.

Read the full NHS Medical and Dental interview guide →