Applying for a Post

Whether you have just completed your community service or merely wish to find another job, the field of medicine remains competitive. This page aims to help give you the best chance you can get at that ideal post by providing information on the following:

How to apply for a post

You will likely be faced with one of two scenarios:

Scenario one

You have been made aware of a post vacancy and wish to apply for it. In this case, you can complete a Z83 form and hand it to HR, or email it with your CV and certified documents to the relevant person as specified in the job vacancy notice. The vacancy will generally outline the application process and documents required.

Scenario two

You do not know of any post vacancies, but wish to work in a specific department at any of a given number of hospitals/facilities. In this case, it would be a very good idea to print your updated CV and drop it off at the HR departments of a few hospitals where you would like to work. Once there, ask them to also give you the email address of the HOD (head of department) or recruiter for the department where you would specifically like to work. Then email your CV to them as well.

When a post becomes available, they often sift through the CVs already available in their HR department and contact those they think would be suitable candidates for the interview. They might also use the CVs to set up a list of backup locum doctors to work in their department where needed and funded.

How to set up a good CV

This is an overview of what a good CV should entail according to the heads of department of a district-level hospital in the Western Cape.

1. Personal statement

Write a brief overview of your experience, skills, and aims in 3-4 lines.

2. Qualifications

List all qualifications. Try to start with the most recent (and thus most applicable) qualifications first. Include the date and place.
List any short courses you have done and the dates.
List any awards you have received.
List any future examinations you have enrolled for or are working towards.

3. Career history

List all the places and/or departments where you have worked before.
Start with the most recent position (i.e., current position) and work backward.
Include the following:
- Full name of the institution.
- Dates that you worked there.
- The grade or level of the hospital (e.g., district, regional, tertiary, etc.).
- Specialty or departments where you worked, and when.
- Names of superiors where you worked.

4. Leadership history

List any previous positions held in management or leadership.
This can be both in and out of work.

5. Teaching history

- Any courses you have taught at.
- Any lectures previously given to undergraduates, or speeches given at conferences.

6. Research history

- Previous audits, presentations, or publications.

7. IT skills

- For example, state whether you are proficient in using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.

8. References

- Ideally list 3 references.
- Remember to first ask these doctors if they would be willing for you to put them up as references on your CV (for when they are contacted in this regard).
- Include their full qualifications and personal contact details (not the hospital landline).
- Never list someone who might be one of the interviewers.

Interview tips

(As per the heads of department of a district-level hospital in the Western Cape)

General interviews

Tips on questions or topics often discussed at interviews:

Describe yourself, and/or how would others describe you?
What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
- Try to turn your weaknesses into things that might also be positive, like that you sometimes tend to be a bit too perfectionistic and stay late to make sure all the work is done to the best degree possible.
Your past experience.
- Even though this information is available on your CV, an interview presumes that the interviewer has never seen your CV. So if you do not list all your past experiences in your interview when asked, then it does not get taken into consideration during the interview.
Clinical skills that you have experience in.
- This can seem vague, but make sure you include the basics like resuscitation according to the ACLS principles, venepuncture, lumbar puncture, CVP insertion, etc. However, also try to keep it department-specific by listing the procedures most applicable to the post you are interviewing for first, i.e., listing previous surgical procedures done if applying for a surgical post.
They will usually also include 2-3 clinical questions.
- The questions will likely depend on the department you are applying for, as well as the level of the post (e.g., medical officer vs registrar).
They will also likely ask you a question about how to manage a difficult situation.
- Examples include conflict management with a difficult patient or patient’s relative, dealing with conflict amongst colleagues, noticing that a colleague is neglectful in their practice, disagreeing with your superior’s clinical management plan, etc.
Try to find out what specific areas of interest the interviewer might have since they are likely to bring it up.
- For e.g., breastfeeding-only initiatives, burn wound management, or previous research articles written by the interviewer.
Do not ask about the job itself during the interview, like when you can expect to get feedback.
- You can call HR at a later point to ask these kinds of questions.
Rather ask questions about access to courses, or discuss any research ideas or proposals you have.

Registrar interviews

The following topics are taken into greater consideration and will likely come up during the interview:

Your past experiences (see above).
Clinical skills (see above).
Previous research done.
- If you have not done any research yet, then talk about your interests for potential future research.
Previous teaching and leadership experience.
The interview, as above, will also likely include clinical questions and a question on managing a difficult situation.