ST3 Orthopaedic Application Self-Assessment Questions 2025Applying To ST3 Orthopaedics?

Application
Self-Assessment

ST3 Orthopaedics Interview Self-Assessment — Self-Assessment

Self Assessment questions appear on the application form along with possible responses to each question. Evidence to substantiate your responses must be easily identified in your portfolio.

Below you will find a break down of the questions asked and the marks available. Improving your CV throughout your medical school, foundation and core surgical training is the best way to ensure a high score. The highest scoring options are highlighted and it should be your goal to reach these by the time of application.

There are a number of multiple-choice Self-Assessment questions built in to the application form. For these questions, you need to select the most appropriate response from a drop-down list.

Your responses to the Self-Assessment questions will be validated against the evidence you submit following application. Evidence to substantiate your answers must be easily identified and follow the strict guidance given in the policy.

You must select the response you feel you will be able to justify to the shortlisting panel, using the evidence you provide.
If it is discovered that any response is false or misleading or if you provide evidence containing Patient Identifiable Data, you may be referred to a Probity Panel.

You will need to upload your evidence to a separate electronic system between 20 December 2024 and 5 January 2025.

Specialty Experience

By the end of July 2025, or by completion of Core Training if this is later, how many months will you have spent in total in any job in medicine post foundation programme (2 years from primary medical qualification)? This includes clinical and non-clinical jobs in any specialty (including medical education such as demonstrating).

Responses:

0 to 39 months (1)
40 to 51 months (2)
52 to 63 months (3)
64 to 76 months (4)
77 months or more (5)

T&O Specialty Experience

By the end of July 2025, or by completion of Core Training if this is later, how many months will you have spent in total in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery in any post foundation job in any country? Please do not include any other posts.

Responses:

0 to 3 months (0)
4 to 9 months (2)
10 to 42 months (8)
43 to 59 months (4)
60 months or more (1)

Related Specialty Experience

By the end of July 2025, or completion of Core Training, will you have spent at least 4 months in posts in these complementary specialties: Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Vascular Surgery, ENT Surgery, Cardiac/Thoracic surgery, Emergency Medicine, ITU, Urology, OMFS, Paediatric Surgery or General Surgery since completing your Foundation Programme?

Responses:

I will not have spent 4-months in any of these specialties (0)
I will have spent at least 4-months in one of these specialties (1)
I will have spent at least 4-months in two or more of these specialties (2)

ST3 T&O Self-Assessment Related Specialty Experience

Operative Experience

At the time of application, how many wholly completed fixations for extracapsular fracture of neck of femur (sliding or dynamic hip screw, cephalomedullary nail) have you completed which have been done either STS or STU? These must be recorded in a consultant validated logbook.

Responses:

0 to 4 (0)
5 to 11 (2)
12 or more (4)

ST3 T&O Self-Assessment Operative Experience

Publications (a)

By the application closing date, since starting undergraduate medical school, how many PubMed indexed journal first author publications can you provide evidence for? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters, or technical tips.

Responses:

Numerical count of 1st author publications with PMID (PubMed identifier). (2 points per paper)

Publications (b)

By the application closing date, since starting undergraduate medical school, how many other publications have you had published in any PubMed indexed journals? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters, or technical tips.

Responses:

Numerical count of other papers numerical with PMID (1 point per paper)

Presentations

By the application closing date, since starting undergraduate medical school, how many national and international presentations (including at virtually delivered established conferences) have been given of work in which you are a listed author? Do not include poster presentations.

Responses:

Numerical count of presentations (individual options ranging from ‘0’ to ‘10 or more’). (1 point per paper)

Audits

By the application closing date, since starting undergraduate medical school, how many audits against a published standard or quality improvement projects have you undertaken which have resulted in presentation of the results?

Responses:

Numerical count of audits (individual options ranging from ‘0’ to ‘10 or more’). (1 point per audit/QIP)

Higher Degree

At the time of application, have you completed and been awarded a stand-alone UK higher degree or equivalent (see evidence below) examined by thesis/dissertation? (N.B. this does not include intercalated degrees)

Responses:

No (0)
Masters (eg. MSc, MMedEd, MS, MCh(Orth), ChM) (1)
PhD, MD (2)

Leadership

Please select one statement that best describes your involvement in leadership or management.

Responses:

I have no evidence of involvement in leadership or management (0)
I have provided evidence from my portfolio of a local or regional leadership or management role within or outside of medicine since starting undergraduate medical school. (1)

I have provided evidence from my portfolio of a national or international formal leadership or management role within or outside of medicine since starting undergraduate medical school. (2)

Teaching

I have the following teaching experience:

Responses:

Little or none (0)
Regular engagement in formal teaching during the last 2 years (4 or more sessions per year) and will provide evidence from my portfolio. (1)
Formal qualification in teaching (PG Masters/Diploma/Certificate or equivalent to 60 university credits) or formal substantive teaching role (2)

What Makes A Good Candidiate?

A number of BMJ careers articles have looked at the demographics of successful candidates over the years.

There is usually a broad age range among successful candidates (26-40 years); the mean age of those appointed to a NTN is 29 years. The average ratio of men to women in candidates appointed to an NTN is 4:1.
Most successful applicants have between 21 and 25 months experience of orthopaedics (excluding foundation training).
Around 25% of the candidates attending interview each year are currently core surgical trainees. However those in a CST post at the time of interview tend to do better than other applicants with between 50 and 70% successfully being offered NTNS.
Core surgical trainees from Severn, London and Oxford have the highest success rates (77-80%).
Candidate preference for regions is dependent on number of jobs available per region. Typically London, Severn and Oxford have the highest competition ratios.