# Practising for Diagnostic Neuropathology (ST3) with MedMock

Canonical page: https://medmock.com/exams/diagnostic-neuropathology-st3

## What is the Diagnostic Neuropathology ST3 interview, and how do you practise for it?

NHS England Medical Hub interview for Diagnostic Neuropathology ST3: one station of four components, each lasting up to 10 minutes, with one panel over MS Teams. NHS England names only two components publicly: scored portfolio-based questions, and a presentation on a topic you are notified of in advance. It publishes no presentation topic or length. MedMock practises those two, plus suitability and commitment to specialty, as separate 10-minute practice stations, and the full mock runs them back to back. The other components are not published, so they are not practised. MedMock lets you practise it out loud against an AI interview panel, with examiner-style feedback on any station you finish.

## About Diagnostic Neuropathology (ST3) recruitment (official sources, checked 2026-10-13)

- 2025 recruitment round, NHS England figures for Diagnostic Neuropathology ST3: 8 applications for 4 posts, a competition ratio of 2.00.
- For 2026 Diagnostic Neuropathology ST3 recruitment in England, Scotland and Wales, there was one interview process for all posts.
- The interview is held on MS Teams as one station with 4 components, including a scored portfolio-based questions component.
- The portfolio itself is not reviewed at interview, but candidates draw from their portfolio to answer the questions. Each component lasts up to 10 minutes.
- Applicants need at least 2.5 years of training, excluding foundation level, in general histopathology including autopsy work, by the advertised post start date.
- Applicants must have completed the FRCPath Part 1 examination by the advertised post start date.

Sources: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/competition-ratios/2025-competition-ratios https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/pathology/higher-training-in-pathology/diagnostic-neuropathology/overview-of-diagnostic-neuropathology/overview-of-diagnostic-neuropathology https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/pathology/higher-training-in-pathology/diagnostic-neuropathology/overview-of-diagnostic-neuropathology/interviews https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/person-specifications/person-specifications-2026/diagnostic-neuropathology-st3-2026

Dates: Diagnostic Neuropathology (ST3) recruits in national Round 3. In 2026, applications ran from 28 July to 13 August and interviews were on 5 October (via MS Teams). The 2027 dates are not yet published. (source: NHS England Medical Specialty Recruitment).
All Diagnostic Neuropathology (ST3) dates: https://medmock.com/exams/diagnostic-neuropathology-st3#dates

## Stations you can practise

- **Scored portfolio-based questions component** — Questions you answer by drawing on your own portfolio, such as audit, teaching, research and reflective practice. The panel does not review the portfolio itself.
- **Presentation component** — In the real interview you are notified of the topic in advance; no topic or presentation length is published. Here you choose a diagnostic neuropathology topic, present it and take questions, within up to 10 minutes.
- **Suitability and commitment to specialty component** — A practice component NHS England does not name publicly: questions on your suitability for higher specialty training and commitment to diagnostic neuropathology.

## Sample Diagnostic Neuropathology (ST3) questions

- *Suitability and commitment to specialty component:* What concerns you about a career in diagnostic neuropathology? Be honest.
- *Scored portfolio-based questions component:* Walk me through a complication or near-miss in your practice. What did you learn and what changed in your subsequent practice?

## Example scenarios

- *Scored portfolio-based questions component:* Walk me through your strongest completed audit — standard, denominator, intervention, and re-audit result.
- *Presentation component:* After your presentation: what is the single most important point of your talk for day-to-day diagnostic practice, and where are its pitfalls?
- *Suitability and commitment to specialty component:* Why Diagnostic Neuropathology specifically, and how will you integrate with neurosurgeons during intraoperative frozen sections?

## How a practice session works

1. **Choose a station** — Choose the kind of question or scenario you want to rehearse — ethics, motivation, a role-play, and more.
2. **Have the conversation** — Speak naturally, out loud. The AI interviewer listens and asks the demanding follow-ups, just as a real interviewer would.
3. **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.

## Price

Start with a one-off £5 taster: 30 credits (30 minutes of speaking practice), not a subscription. After that, or instead, £69 per month for 350 credits. One credit is one minute of spoken practice, or two typed exchanges, and where the examiner or patient speaks first, that opening line is free. Examiner scorecards, mark schemes and model answers for finished sessions are included at no extra credit cost. Cancel at any time. Full details: https://medmock.com/pricing

## Frequently asked questions

### 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 Diagnostic Neuropathology ST3 stations?

Yes. You can pick any of the 3 stations to drill a weak area, or run a Full Mock that takes you through the stations MedMock practises, back to back.

### 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.

## About MedMock

MedMock is a web app for practising the spoken parts of UK medical and dental exams and interviews out loud. The candidate talks; an AI patient, examiner or interview panel answers in real time by voice; and when the station ends MedMock marks the performance against that exam's assessment domains and shows the model answer.

It covers 104 spoken exams and interviews — OSCEs, vivas, structured oral exams, simulated consultations, and specialty-training and consultant interviews. It does not cover written or multiple-choice papers, and it is not a question bank.

It was founded by Mr Sam Nahas, MBBS BSc MEd FRCS (Tr & Orth), a practising consultant orthopaedic surgeon in the UK, with co-founder and CTO Arjan Jandu. It is operated by VirtualPatients Ltd (company no. 16303492).

Pricing: a one-off £5 taster of 30 credits to try it (not a subscription, one per account), and a monthly subscription from £20 to £129 depending on the exam (student exams cost least, fellowship exit exams and consultant interviews most), or £199 to £275 for the Intensive plans, which carry more credits. One credit is one minute of spoken practice, or two typed exchanges, and where the examiner or patient speaks first, that opening line is free. Examiner scorecards, mark schemes and model answers for finished sessions are included at no extra credit cost. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.

It runs in a web browser on a laptop or phone; spoken practice needs a microphone. There is no public demo: practice needs an account with credits, usually from the taster or a monthly plan.

MedMock is for adults aged 18 or over. Sign-up asks every new account to confirm it.

MedMock is a revision tool. The patients, examiners and cases are fictional and AI-generated; it is not clinical guidance and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any Royal College, the GMC, the GDC or any examining body.

Start with the £5 taster: https://medmock.com/auth/signup