Prepare for a fellowship interview

Know the programme before you speak

Read the official programme page and note the stated curriculum, duration, participation level and named faculty. Look at the faculty's recent work where it is public, for example their institutional profiles and publications. Prepare two or three specific reasons this programme fits your goals; generic praise is easy to spot.

Prepare your story

• Why this subspecialty: a short, honest account of how you reached it.
• Why this programme: what the curriculum, volume or team offers that you cannot get at home.
• What you will do afterwards: how you will apply the training and where.
• Your experience: two or three cases or projects you can discuss in depth, including what you would do differently.
• Weaknesses and gaps: an example of a development area and what you have done about it.

Technical and judgment questions

Expect questions about indications, operative strategy and complications in the subspecialty, and about how you handle uncertainty and disagreement. Panels often prefer a clear, structured answer with a stated limit of your knowledge over a confident guess. Review recent guidelines and landmark studies relevant to the field, and be able to describe your own cases at the level of detail you recorded.

Questions you can ask

• What does a typical week look like for a fellow?
• How do fellows and consultants decide who performs which part of an operation?
• How are research, teaching and on-call responsibilities divided?
• What did recent fellows do after the programme?
• What would make a fellow succeed here, and what support is available if someone struggles?
• Are there practical matters I should resolve early, such as registration, credentialing or visa steps?

Practicalities

Test the technology for remote interviews, keep your documents to hand, and arrive early. Send a short thank-you message afterwards. If you receive an offer, ask for it in writing and use the offer comparison guide before replying.

Related guides

• Build a cardiothoracic fellowship CV
• Questions to ask before applying
• Compare offers beyond prestige