NHS Job Preparation · International Medical Graduates

You crossed oceans
to get here. Now,
cross the finish line.

Consultant-led NHS job coaching for international medical graduates — from a doctor who has been on both sides of the interview table.

LS
Dr. Lunik Sarder MRCEM · FRCEM · MStMEd (Cantab)
Emergency Medicine Consultant, NHS · Senior Lecturer, University of London · Specialty Tutor, RCEM
138,405
Licensed IMGs in the UK — 42% of all doctors
[GMC Workforce Report, 2025]
Only 13%
Got NHS employment within 6 months in 2024
[GMC / FOI Data, 2025]
7,605
NHS secondary-care vacancies — December 2025
[BMA Medical Staffing, 2026]
8.5 : 1
Applications per specialty training post, 2025
[HM Government Impact Statement, 2026]
The honest picture

The door is not closed. It has narrowed. That gap is preparation.

Before making decisions about your NHS career, you deserve an accurate picture — not the alarmist version on forums, and not the optimistic narrative from a recruitment agency.

The NHS has never trained enough doctors to meet its own demand. The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 — which received Royal Assent on 5 March 2026 — prioritises UK graduates for training posts. It does not affect trust-grade or locally employed doctor posts, which remain the primary entry route for IMGs.

The King's Fund confirms that international recruitment will remain essential to the NHS workforce strategy through at least the mid-2030s. [King's Fund, 2023]

"The doctors who succeed are not luckier than others — they are better prepared."
79.9%
of PLAB-route IMGs registered in 2024 were not connected to any NHS employer. The majority arrive registered but unemployed.
[FOI/ScienceOpen, Nov 2025]
56.7%
Emergency Medicine ST4 fill rate in 2025 — well below full. Targeted applications to shortage specialties and regions work.
[NHS England, 2025]
Growth in NHS secondary-care doctors since 2015. The workforce is still expanding — and IMGs are a structural part of it.
[BMA, 2024]
42%
of all licensed UK doctors are IMGs. The NHS has never been self-sufficient and cannot become so within this decade.
[GMC Workforce Report, 2025]
How we help
Preparation that actually works

Every session delivered personally. No generic advice. No outsourcing.

📄
CV & Application

Most overseas CVs score zero against NHS person specifications — not because the doctor is underqualified, but because the format is wrong. We fix that.

CV MOT from £85 →
🎤
Mock Interview

NHS panels use structured competency frameworks. Knowing what they score — and how to answer — is not common knowledge. We teach it precisely.

Interview coaching from £110 →
Full Job-Readiness

CV review + application review + mock interview + written action plan. The complete preparation at best value. Our most popular package.

Job-Readiness Package — £235 →
LS
NHS Consultant
MRCEM · FRCEMRoyal College Qualifications
MStMEd, CantabUniversity of Cambridge
21 years NHSEmergency Medicine
RCEM Specialty TutorRoyal College of EM
About Dr. Sarder

A doctor who walked the same road.

Dr. Lunik Sarder arrived in the United Kingdom as an International Medical Graduate, at a point in NHS history materially more difficult than today. The regulatory environment then required a job offer before GMC registration could be completed. The hierarchy was explicit: UK graduates first, EU doctors second, non-EU IMGs last. He was at the back of that queue. He got through.

Over twenty-one years he built a career in Emergency Medicine — completing the MRCEM and FRCEM, a Master of Studies in Medical Education at the University of Cambridge, and becoming an NHS Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Emergency and Resuscitation Medicine at a University of London institution. He currently holds the appointment of Specialty Tutor for the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

He spent five years working within NHS Trust recruitment processes — shortlisting applications, contributing to interview design, and participating in hiring decisions. Through direct experience of how hundreds of applications and interviews were evaluated, he developed a precise understanding of what separates candidates who are appointed from those who are not.

imgcareers.co.uk exists because he then chose to bring that knowledge to the doctors who need it most.

"I came through this when it was harder. There was no guide — no one who had been on both sides of the table to explain what was actually being looked for. That is exactly what imgcareers.co.uk is built on."
— Dr. Lunik Sarder, MRCEM · FRCEM · MStMEd (Cantab)
ClinicalEmergency Medicine Consultant, NHS · 21 years NHS experience
AcademicMRCEM · FRCEM · MStMEd (Cantab) · Senior Lecturer, University of London · Specialty Tutor, RCEM
RecruitmentFive years active involvement in NHS Trust recruitment — shortlisting, interview design, and hiring decisions
PersonalInternational Medical Graduate — built a full NHS consultant and academic career from outside the system, in a harder era
Services & Prices

Every session delivered personally by Dr. Sarder.

No associate coaches. No outsourced delivery. All sessions via secure video call, available to IMGs worldwide.

Free Monthly Webinar
FREE

Sixty minutes of genuine teaching on what NHS interview panels look for. This is not a sales session — it is the most honest sixty minutes available to an IMG applying for NHS posts. No payment required.

  • What NHS shortlisting actually scores — and why most CVs fail
  • How NHS interview panels are structured and what they measure
  • The three things that separate hired doctors from rejected ones
  • Live Q&A — bring your specific questions

Next session:

[NEXT DATE]
via Zoom · 7:00pm UK time
Register your place →

Can't make it? Register for the recording.

CV MOT
£85

Detailed review of your CV against NHS-specific formatting and person specification scoring criteria. Written feedback with specific, actionable changes.

  • NHS-focused structure and wording review
  • Person specification alignment analysis
  • Written feedback delivered within 48 hours

Best for: IMGs who want to know how their CV reads to an NHS shortlisting panel.

CV + Application Review
£165

CV review combined with review of one NHS supporting information statement or application. Includes a short feedback call.

  • Full CV review against person specification
  • Supporting information / application review
  • Short feedback call to walk through changes

Best for: IMGs who have applied and not been shortlisted.

Interview Power Hour
£110

One 60-minute mock NHS interview with structured feedback on answers, communication style, and NHS values alignment.

  • Full mock NHS panel interview
  • Structured feedback on answers and delivery
  • NHS values and communication coaching

Best for: IMGs with a confirmed interview date.

3-Session Interview Intensive
£295

Three mock interviews with Dr. Sarder over 2–4 weeks. Structured written feedback after each session. Designed for high-stakes applications.

  • Three 60-minute mock interviews
  • Written feedback after each session
  • Progressive difficulty and scenario variation

Best for: IMGs who have failed NHS interviews before, or applying to competitive posts.

Senior IMG Bespoke Pathway

For doctors with consultant-equivalent experience internationally seeking entry to the NHS at Locum Consultant grade. Strategic, personal, and handled exclusively by Dr. Sarder on a case-by-case basis. Please contact directly with your specialty, country of training, and years of experience.

Coming soon
Group Cohort Programme

Small-group intensive preparation with Dr. Sarder. Maximum 6 IMGs per cohort. Four weeks of structured preparation, peer practice, and group mock interviews.

Join the waiting list →
Coming 2027
Online Self-Study Course

A structured 6-module digital programme for IMGs preparing for NHS jobs at your own pace. Video content, workbooks, and community access.

Join the waiting list →
How we compare

Why imgcareers.co.uk is different

Factor Most competitors imgcareers.co.uk
Delivered by Career coaches, generic trainers, or doctors with no recruitment background Practising NHS Emergency Medicine Consultant — 21 years NHS experience
Personal IMG experience Rarely — most coaches are UK graduates Yes — navigated the system from the back of the queue in a harder era
NHS recruitment knowledge None or secondhand Direct involvement in NHS Trust recruitment over five years — shortlisting, interview design, and hiring decisions
NHS clinical context Generic advice from secondhand sources Current NHS clinical practice — real shortlisting language, real interview norms, updated for 2026
SHO and Registrar level Consultant-level only SHO to Registrar as primary audience; Locum Consultant pathway also available
CV and application coaching Interview prep only, typically Full suite: CV review, application review, mock interview, written action plan
Academic credibility Variable MStMEd (Cantab) · FRCEM · Senior Lecturer, University of London · RCEM Specialty Tutor
Free entry point Rarely offered Free monthly webinar — genuine teaching, no sales pitch
Group size Often 10–20+ per workshop Maximum 6 per group workshop — genuine individual feedback
Free monthly webinar

What NHS Interview Panels Actually Look For

Sixty minutes of genuine, expert teaching. No sales pitch. No generic tips. The real criteria — explained by someone who has been in the room.

1
Why most IMG CVs score zero against NHS person specifications — and exactly how to fix yours
2
How NHS shortlisting works — the criteria panels use and why impressive CVs often fail
3
What NHS interview panels are actually scoring — and the communication norms most IMGs don't know
4
How the job market has changed in 2026 — the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act explained honestly
5
Live Q&A — bring your specific questions about your application or specialty
Register your place
Next session: [DATE] · 7:00pm UK time · Zoom · Free

Can't make this date? Register anyway — you will receive the recording link by email.

Your email is used only to send webinar details and occasional NHS career insights. Unsubscribe any time.

What IMGs say

Client outcomes

Testimonials from our first clients — coming very soon.

After our first webinar and coaching sessions are complete, real client stories will appear here. We will never fabricate or embellish testimonials.

Contact

Get in touch.

Response time

Dr. Sarder reviews every enquiry personally and responds within 48 hours (usually sooner). For senior IMG bespoke pathway enquiries, please include your specialty, country of training, and approximate years of experience.

Bookings

All paid services are booked via Calendly and paid via Stripe. Use the 'Book via Calendly' buttons on the Services page to check availability and book directly.

Frequently asked questions

No. Anyone who guarantees a job offer is not being honest with you. imgcareers.co.uk guarantees rigorous, clinically credible preparation from a doctor who understands how NHS selection works. The outcome depends on your portfolio, the competition for the post, and how you perform. Preparation maximises your chances — it does not eliminate competition.
Yes — all NHS specialties. Core expertise lies in Emergency Medicine and General/Internal Medicine, but the fundamentals of NHS CV structure, application writing, and interview technique are universal. You will be told honestly if any aspect falls outside direct expertise.
Yes. All sessions are delivered via secure video call and are available to IMGs worldwide. Many clients begin preparation months before arriving in the UK — this is often the most effective approach.
In most cases, yes. The most common source of interview failure among IMGs is not clinical knowledge — it is application presentation and interview technique. These are exactly the areas this service addresses. You will receive an honest assessment of where the gap lies.
If you have not yet applied, start with the CV MOT. If you have a specific upcoming interview, the Interview Power Hour or Job-Readiness Package is most appropriate. If you have failed NHS interviews before, the 3-Session Intensive is designed for you. When in doubt, start with the free webinar — it will clarify exactly what you need.
Yes. imgcareers.co.uk was built for IMGs from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, and every other country of origin. The NHS jobs market is the focus; your country of training is irrelevant.
Send a message

Dr. Sarder responds personally within 48 hours.
Sessions are delivered worldwide via secure video call.