MMC interview

Had my MMC interview (medicine ST2) this morning. It was OK, I think, though rather rushed. Three panels consisting of two people each, each 'station' lasting ten minutes.

First station - clinical scenario. 'A man is admitted to CCU with an acute ST elevation myocardial infarction. You are the ST2 on call, and your F1 [note their use of the new 'sexy' terminology] is on CCU when the patient comes in. He is still in pain, and has had 5mg of diamorphine in A+E. However, your F1 [monkey] doesn't realise this, and gives him another 5mg of diamorphine. The patient suffers a respiratory arrest. He panics [surely not!] and calls you to the patient urgently. What do you do?'

A reasonable scenario, I thought. I think my answer was OK. I'm not sure a normal sized adult male would actually have a respiratory arrest after 10mg of diamorphine, but I didn't say that.

And actually come to think of it, I don't know if there are any F1s who would dare give diamorphine to a patient without checking with their SHO (sorry, ST2), their mum and their medical defence union first.

Second station - why do you want to do medicine? What specialty do you want to go into eventually? Have you done any audits? What research have you done? What makes you a good doctor?

All very fair questions. I did manage to get in the fact that I have PACES and am starting an Oncology SpR job next week at the beginning, but worryingly the interviewer forgot this information within two minutes and asked, 'So, what are you going to specialise in? Gastroenterology? Cardiology?', and then said, 'Have you got your MRCP?' at the end. Hmmm. I wonder how much of the rest of my answers he managed to retain.

Final station - going through my application form 'creative writing' answers. Thank God I re-read my form before the interview - I'd forgotten some of the drivel I wrote back in January. The thought of it makes me want to vomit. But I think that station went OK as well.

So, must now sit tight until June when we (allegedly) find out if we are to be welcomed into the big happy MTAS family, or chewed up and spat out - 'Sorry, fuck off to Australia, we don't care if we've spent tens of thousands on training you. Go on, piss off!'.

I have been interrupted by my colleague, who tells me MTAS is to be scrapped! See link : http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/mtas150507

So what the fuck happens now?