Medical Microbiology (ST3)
Walk into your Medical Microbiology ST3 interview already knowing how you will answer
Rehearse for your Medical Microbiology ST3 interview against an AI interviewer who challenges your answers. Get feedback on any session you finish, in seconds.
What is the Medical Microbiology ST3 interview, and how do you practise for it?
Group 2 Combined Infection Training interview practice: two ten-minute stations covering a research presentation, suitability, clinical reasoning and ethics. Authored practice cases with PHST-informed feedback. 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 Medical Microbiology (ST3) recruitment
The official pages have not yet been updated for the next round. Most of what follows describes the previous recruitment round.
- Combined infection training, which includes medical microbiology, has Scotland (NHS Education for Scotland) as its lead recruiter.
- The first two years are a common combined infection training programme for all four infection specialties; each specialty then has its own higher training leading to a CCT in that specialty.
- Medical microbiology overlaps with infectious diseases, and dual training in both specialties is possible.
- Medical microbiology sat in Group 2 of combined infection training, which accepted only physician training routes and required completion of the first two years of IMT stage 1 or equivalent.
- Commitment to specialty in combined infection training was scored at shortlisting on activity and interest across any of the infection specialties in the programme.
- The Group 2 interview had two stations with four questions, opening with a presentation of no more than three minutes on an infection-related research paper.
- Combined infection training had separate ST3 and ST4 vacancies; applicants eligible for both had a single interview with scores used for both.
Checked on 13 October 2026 against Infection specialties. Recruitment changes each year: confirm on the official pages before you apply.
Medical Microbiology 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 Medical Microbiology 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 Medical Microbiology ST3 interview. Rehearse each one until it feels routine.
Presentation & suitability
Prepared research-paper presentation (up to 3 minutes), paper discussion (about 3 minutes), then suitability and commitment to infection training (about 4 minutes). Small prompt cards allowed; no slides or screen sharing.
Clinical scenario & ethics
A short clinical vignette followed by approximately 6 minutes of clinical discussion and a separate 4-minute ethical, professionalism and governance question given verbally. Brief mental preparation is allowed before the clinical question; the official reading interval is not specified.
Sample Medical Microbiology (ST3) interview questions
Two questions from the topics that come up most in MedMock's Medical Microbiology (ST3) bank.
“Where do you see your career going within infection training, and what steps have you already taken towards that plan?”
“A junior colleague tells you they did not request a malaria film for a febrile patient who had recently returned from Nigeria because the department was busy and they assumed it was probably flu. What would you do?”
Example scenarios
A sample of the Medical Microbiology ST3 scenarios you can practise, each as a spoken conversation.
“Present a recent infection paper, discuss its limitations and describe how your experience supports your choice of training.”
“A 68-year-old woman develops fever, confusion and rigors on the medical ward. Her blood pressure is 84/50 mmHg, pulse 126/min and lactate 4.2 mmol/L; the infection source is not yet clear.”
Medical Microbiology (ST3) recruitment dates 2026–27
The next Medical Microbiology (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 — sMedical Microbiology (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)
Medical Microbiology (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 Medical Microbiology 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 Medical Microbiology ST3 interview?
Rehearse real Medical Microbiology 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
Be ready for your Medical Microbiology ST3 interview before you walk in
Start with the £5 taster, a one-off payment for 30 credits: practise Medical Microbiology ST3 interview scenarios out loud and get any of them marked when you are ready.
Practise your Medical Microbiology ST3 interview