Combined Infection Training (ST3)
Walk into your Combined Infection Training ST3 interview already knowing how you will answer
Rehearse for your Combined Infection Training ST3 interview against an AI interviewer who challenges your answers. Get feedback on any session you finish, in seconds.
What is the Combined Infection Training ST3 interview, and how do you practise for it?
Combined Infection Training ST3 national recruitment interview, run online by Physician Higher Specialty Training: two 10-minute stations with four scored questions. Station 1 is your prepared three-minute presentation on a recent infection research paper and its discussion, then suitability and commitment. Station 2 is a brief written clinical scenario, then an ethics, professionalism and governance question given verbally. On the day you choose and prepare your own paper, and two interviewers score every question from 1 to 5. Here MedMock gives you the paper, one AI examiner voice asks all four questions, and one AI marker gives each question a practice score. MedMock lets you practise it out loud against an AI interview panel, with examiner-style feedback on any station you finish.
Last updated 29 October 2026
About Combined Infection Training (ST3) recruitment
Combined Infection Training ST3, 2025 recruitment round (Round 2). NHS England competition ratios
- Scotland (NHS Education for Scotland) is the lead recruiter for combined infection training.
- All four infection specialties share a two-year combined infection training programme. After it, each specialty has its own higher specialty training programme leading to a CCT in that specialty.
- Combined infection training is advertised as two vacancies, one at ST3 and one at ST4, each needing its own application. Those applying to, and eligible for, both undergo a single interview.
- The Group 2 interview has two stations of 10 minutes each and four questions ranging between 4 and 6 minutes in length.
- The interview opens with a presentation of no more than three minutes on a recent research paper relevant to infection specialties, followed by discussion with the interviewers.
- Combined infection training accepts only candidates from physician training routes. Group 2 eligibility requires completion of the first two years of internal medicine training stage 1 or equivalent.
- Shortlisting assesses commitment to infection training, scored on activity and interest across any of the specialties in the combined infection training programme.
Checked on 13 October 2026 against Infection specialties. Recruitment changes each year: confirm on the official pages before you apply.
Combined Infection Training ST3 interview practice, on demand
MedMock gives you an AI interviewer who challenges your answers, available 24/7. Pick a station, have a spoken conversation, and ask for examiner-style feedback when you finish, scored against what genuinely matters in the Combined Infection Training ST3.
How it works
Choose a station
Choose the kind of question or scenario you want to rehearse — ethics, motivation, a role-play, and more.
Have the conversation
Speak naturally, out loud. The AI interviewer listens and asks the demanding follow-ups, just as a real interviewer would.
Get instant feedback
The moment you finish, you get specific, examiner-style feedback and a score — what you did well, what cost you marks, and precisely what to fix before the next attempt.
Practise every scenario
MedMock covers the stations you will face in the Combined Infection Training ST3 interview. Rehearse each one until it feels routine.
Station 1
Question 1 (about 6 minutes): a presentation of no more than three minutes, prepared in advance with no slides, on an interesting research paper relevant to infection specialties, then about three minutes of discussion. Here you have up to 6 minutes to prepare the paper MedMock gives you before the station starts. Question 2 (about 4 minutes): your suitability for and commitment to training in the infection specialties, expanding on your application form.
Station 2
Question 3 (about 6 minutes): a brief written clinical scenario to review, then questions on it. Here you have 3 minutes to read the scenario: PHST says only that you have a short while, so the 3 minutes are MedMock's choice. Question 4 (about 4 minutes): an ethics, professionalism and governance question given verbally, anchored in GMC Good Medical Practice.
Sample Combined Infection Training (ST3) interview questions
Two questions from the topics that come up most in MedMock's Combined Infection Training (ST3) bank.
“Was the comparator or control group appropriate, or could a different comparison have been more informative?”
“Was there adequate blinding and allocation concealment, and how might their absence have affected results?”
Example scenarios
A sample of the Combined Infection Training ST3 scenarios you can practise, each as a spoken conversation.
“Present a recent research paper on real-world cefiderocol use for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales — methodology strengths and weaknesses, and implications for your trust. Then: what have you done to test your commitment to infection training?”
“Clinical: a haem-onc patient with neutropenic sepsis after CAR-T therapy isn't responding to first-line antibiotics. Ethics: a junior tells you a consultant prescribed pip-taz against the trust ESBL bacteraemia policy and the patient deteriorated — what do you do?”
Combined Infection Training (ST3) recruitment dates 2026–27
The next Combined Infection Training (ST3) recruitment date we hold is: Applications 19 November 2026 to 10 December 2026 (national Round 2). Checked against Physician Higher Specialty Training Recruitment (PHST) on 24 September 2026.
Time until Applications 19 November 2026 to 10 December 2026 (national Round 2)
— d — h — m — sCombined Infection Training (ST3) is recruited through NHS England’s national recruitment round 2, which the national timeline says is for ST3/ST4 posts. Applications are made on Oriel.
Recruitment dates change. MedMock is not affiliated with Physician Higher Specialty Training Recruitment (PHST); confirm every date, application window and venue on the official site before you apply. Physician Higher Specialty Training Recruitment (PHST)
Combined Infection Training (ST3) practice — your questions answered
How does the feedback work?
When you finish a station you can have it marked, and the scorecard comes back in seconds — what you did well, what cost you marks, and exactly what to work on next. Scorecards, mark schemes and model answers are included at no extra credit cost.
Can I practise specific Combined Infection Training ST3 stations?
Yes. You can pick either station to drill a weak area, or run a mixed set to simulate the real interview.
How much does it cost?
You can start with a one-off £5 taster: 30 credits, which is 30 minutes of speaking practice, with no subscription. After that, or at any time, you can choose a monthly plan, which includes a monthly credit allowance. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Formats change from year to year: check the official candidate guidance or applicant handbook from the body that runs your exam or interview (the Royal Colleges, NHS England, the GMC and others) for your sitting.
Ready for your Combined Infection Training ST3 interview?
Rehearse real Combined Infection Training ST3 scenarios out loud and get instant, examiner-style feedback.
- Instant, personalised feedback
- Real voice-to-voice conversation
- Repeatable attempts, a different run every time
Related exams to practise
Be ready for your Combined Infection Training ST3 interview before you walk in
Start with the £5 taster, a one-off payment for 30 credits: practise Combined Infection Training ST3 interview scenarios out loud and get any of them marked when you are ready.
Practise your Combined Infection Training ST3 interview