........................ I have been shortlisted for a teaching hospital though I have only started a SHO in a DGH. Should I visit the unit before the interview or just ask the secretary to show me around the day before the interview? If I were to visit the consultant before the interview what am I supposed to ask? If the secreatary gets a SHO to shows me around, should I ask to see the consultant after that? 

- Bruce July 2, 2004 at 23:51:01 
The worst thing you can do is not to visit the hospital or seeing the consultant. All the other candidates are probably doing that now, if you do not visit the consultant it will come cross as uninterested! Of course some consultants may not want to see the candidates before the interview but if you really really want the job it is visiting the hospital and the consultant or you will get nothing. Very often the interview is a very close competition and the consultants may prefer one candidate over the other on very minute things. Not visiting them is definitely to your great disadvantage.
-Donald
 

There are so many questions you can ask without appearing pushy. You may ask what type of SHO he or she is looking for? The opportunity for research (even if you were not interested). The meeting should be viewed as a social greeting rather than a formal interview. Call the secretary and say you like to look around the department, they will usually arrange a registrar, nurse or sho to show you around. At the end
of the day you just have to show your face so that they will remember you at the interview. Judging by your question, you are very new to the game. Most SHOs have practised all this skills even before they got their first SHO job.
 -Don
 

Don't be your own critic. Let the interviewers decide if they shortlisted you you must be better than other candidates. Donald is right about visiting the consultants. My consultant decided to give one candidate the job because he made appointment to see him whereas the other candidate did not come to see the hospital. He thought she was arrogant although she has a MSc and a better CV. So visiting the place show you are interested otherwise don't bother.
-JFK
 

And then which consultant do you ask to see!? Ususally there atleast 10 consultants at a teach hosp. 

The thing to do Bruce, is speak the secreatary to the consultant who is clinical director, or another consultant who might have asked to be put down as the one who answers shortlisted candidates queries. Ask her to arrange a good time for you to check out the dept. She will then contact her consultant, and he will then get to know you showed interest. 
You then go down to the dept at said time. You will be shown round by sister most likely. Now, when you are being showed around outpatients, if you can get an opportunity to speak to the consultants then, that is probably the best time. That's what I did, and it worked nicely. I doubt very much, if consultants will take time out of their busy schedule just to have a one to one with you by appointment, so the best way to grab their attention is on an ad hoc basis. 

What you say to them is another thing. Just tell them who you are. Tell them you have been very impressed with what you have seen so far, and tell them you would greatly value the opportunty to work in such a unit. You will then be prompted by the as to how the conversation goes further. Play it by ear, some may not want to speak, so don't annoy them by being too pushy. Others will be down to earth and welcoming and find out more about you, what you can offer, and maybe even give you advice as to what they are looking for. It's all just PR
really, so don't get too stressed about it. 

I know lots of people who have got their teach hosp post, having just had a quick look around the on the day of their interview. But make sure they know you have looked around the dept, and spoken to current SHOs/SpRs there. 

Now after all this advice we have given you, atleast be good enough to let us know how you get on, in this board. You sound like a bright young thing. You have gained more in 4 months than alot of us obtained in 18 months. You should be the one giving advice on these boards! 

Best of luck.
- Kate
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