
Plastic Surgery ST3 · 2027 Interview
Plastic Surgery
The Plastic Surgery panel looks for clear explanations of treatment choices, evidence of developing technical skills and an honest sense of your own limits.
Your interview toolkit
Everything you need to prepare for your interview
£150
3 month access
Model answers for every scenario, with scoring points and audio of delivery.
2027 Update:New Elective List (OSCE) and lateral thinking Structured Interview stations introduced in 2026
What to expect
Stations, timings and how you’re scored
Plastic Surgery restores form and function after cancer, trauma and burns. In 2026 the interview carried 80 per cent of the score. In 2025 NHS England recorded about 6.7 applications for each post.
The OSCE
10 minutes
Communication skills
5 minutes of reading firstTwo of these, 5 minutes each:
- Call the Boss
- Elective ListNew in 2026
- Consent
The 2026 OSCE named Call the Boss and the Elective List; NHS England's public page still lists consent and communication, so prepare all three.
44 OSCE scenarios included.
The Clinical Scenario
10 minutes
Clinical skills
Two cases you see for the first time in the room, with no reading beforehand. Our clinical scenarios cover hand trauma, skin cancer, burns and the compromised flap.
You assess and manage each one out loud, from first review to definitive plan, so show your reasoning as well as the answer.
61 clinical scenarios included.
The Structured Interview
10 minutes
Commitment to specialty
Two or three questions; the 2025 scoresheet marked audit, research, and teaching or management. Expect follow-up questions on each, so a prepared first line is not enough.
The panel is testing realistic insight into Plastic Surgery and the personal demands of a commitment to surgery.
83 interview scenarios included.
How the final rank is scored
2026 split, taken in any order; every station scored 0 to 5. The portfolio is scored before the interview.
30%
The OSCE
25%
Clinical Scenario
25%
Structured Interview
20%
Portfolio
From the person specification
"Ability to prioritise clinical need."
Clinical skills
"Awareness of own limitations and when to ask for help"
Coping with pressure and managing uncertainty
"Shows realistic insight into Plastic Surgery and the personal demands of a commitment to surgery."
Commitment to specialty
NHS England, Plastic Surgery ST3 person specification, 2027.
Format, minutes and weightings: NHS England, Plastic Surgery ST3 recruitment, 2026.
How you’ll prepare
Interactive verbal practice, on any screen
Answer the interviewer out loud on your computer or tablet, then practise on your phone between shifts. One account works on your computer, tablet and phone.
Interactive learning
Your interview is a spoken assessment, so your preparation should reflect this.
Real-time marking
See your scores and where to improve.
Personalised feedback
Your words, edited into a higher-scoring answer, with every change explained.
Timed mock interviews
10 full mock interviews, timed like the real one, with a report at the end.
Interactive learning
Your interview is a spoken assessment, so your preparation should reflect this.
Real-time marking
See your scores and where to improve.
Personalised feedback
Your words, edited into a higher-scoring answer, with every change explained.
Timed mock interviews
10 full mock interviews, timed like the real one, with a report at the end.
Your CV
Make everything you've done count
It's easy to forget your best examples on the day. Add your CV for personalised feedback: the audit, teaching or research you didn't mention, where it scores on the mark scheme, and anything your CV doesn't back up. We read it once and never store the file.
Plastic Surgery
Your plan
Guides & articles
Know what matters, and when.
Clear, practical guidance on applications, portfolios, exams and interviews; updated for each recruitment cycle to help you plan your next step with confidence.
Plastic Surgery ST3
Be ready for the Plastics interview
Practise all three stations out loud, then sit them as one timed interview.
Plans are paid once and do not renew. A plan covers one specialty, and you can try its first questions free.






