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IMT · Career decision

What IMT is like: acute take, training, MRCP and career paths

An IMT post is a mix of acute assessment, ward continuity, outpatient learning and supervised development; the service-training balance varies by placement.

Last verified: 6 October 2026Parent guide: IMT

The Federation curriculum sets capabilities and mandated experiences; any example day or on-call arrangement here is illustrative. Ask the actual programme about staffing, rotations and LTFT.

ContentsHow to approach it

How to approach it

What a strong answer needs to show

Follow a real patient through the service

An ED referral becomes a bedside assessment and an acute plan; post-take review revises it, a ward team owns ongoing care, a clinic may resolve the longer-term question.

  • A medical doctor prioritises instability, integrates comorbidity and chooses the next useful investigation.
  • The registrar supports juniors and negotiates referrals; the consultant brings senior review and service responsibility.
  • Handover, documentation, families, pharmacy, therapists and discharge planning occupy substantial time.

Know the training contract

Three-year IMT Stage 1 is judged against high-level capabilities rather than one rigid national year-by-year rota.

  • Experience includes unselected take, geriatrics, intensive care, outpatient work and simulation.
  • Responsibility grows towards registrar-level acute decisions with supervision.
  • MRCP Part 1, Part 2 Written and PACES are separate exams; full MRCP is generally required for group 1 ST4 entry.

Test whether the work suits you

The breadth and patient contact can be rewarding; nights, interruptions, examinations and service pressure are real trade-offs.

  • Spend time on an acute take and in an outpatient clinic, not only on an easy ward round.
  • Ask trainees whether rota design protects clinics, procedures and supervision.
  • Compare the job of an acute physician, a specialty registrar and a consultant before naming your intended pathway.

Original practice questions

Questions worth practising aloud

These are original preparation prompts written around published domains and entry-level expectations. They are not recalled interview questions.

  1. Describe what changes between an IMT1 and a registrar's role on an acute take.
  2. How does a physician contribute to an MDT decision?
  3. What would you ask a programme about its nights, clinics and critical care placement?
  4. Which physician specialty mix of acute, procedure and continuity appeals to you, and why?

Common mistakes

Where otherwise good answers lose clarity

  • Saying IMT is three years of ward jobs with no clinics.
  • Assuming an IMT3 works without consultant support.
  • Assuming all physician specialties require the same general medicine on-call.
  • Promising an exam timeline without checking eligibility and rota.

Preparation plan

How to practise this deliberately

  • Read the Federation Stage 1 curriculum.
  • Speak to trainees in two different hospitals.
  • Observe a take and clinic, noting decisions and handover.
  • Return to the hub's regional comparison and current issues.

Continue into practice

Practise the answer, not just the reading

Spoken IMT practice is launching soon. At launch, choose a Question bank prompt, work on your answer and use structured feedback to improve it. Explore the practice experience while you prepare with these free questions.

Explore IMT practice

Official source

Check the live recruitment guidance

Interview formats can change between cycles. This focused guide should be used alongside the official source below and the full IMT guide.

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