Consultants are appointed through open competition.
The RCOG offer a job plan review and approval service for consultant posts before they are advertised. Approved posts should also have an RCOG representative at the interview.
To apply for a consultant post, you need to:
- Have obtained a CCT or equivalent
- Be fully registered with the General Medical Council (GMC)
- Be on the Specialist Register (although this is not a legal requirement in foundation trusts)
If you’re an international medical graduate, you will need the relevant visa.
Consultant interviews are focused on your ability to demonstrate desirable skills such as communication, leadership, delivering quality improvement projects, negotiating with a patient or their family about care pathways, writing business cases and evidencing how you have incorporated changes. Consultants perform these activities on a daily basis. Therefore, gaining this experience throughout your career is beneficial.
Take up opportunities to gain additional experience in these areas and develop the skills necessary to be a consultant. For example, join a consultant in writing a business case or observe them conduct a complaint meeting with the family, attend a risk management meeting, observe a Root Cause Analysis (RCA), attend a coroner’s court inquest, support an audit.
For further guidance, watch this short video by the NHS on consultant interviews.