However, according to experts, when it comes to things like job interviews, poor communication skills can destroy a doctor's chance of securing the position - in a way in which they might not in the wider working world.

That's not simply because they fail to adequately describe their technical skill.

It's because they fail to show a competence in one of the key areas required by all doctors; the capacity to communicate.

"Communication is at the core of the good interview.

But it's also at the core of being a good physician, " said Paula Myler of Career Development Services at Carr Communications. "The good doctor should be a superb listener. She should be able to build a relationship with her patients. She should be able to deliver bad news sensitively and handle the anger that such news often brings.

A good doctor can handle stress, be calm in a crisis, be a leader in a team situation and have the courage to speak out when standards are slipping."

According to Myler, too often senior doctors believe they will be promoted based on their medical expertise, when it is just one aspect of the complement of skills they must possess. And be able to display at interview.

"Displaying that complement of skills at interview is about slick presentation, or confident assertion, or committed hyperbole, " explained Myler. "It's about evidence.

Evidence is gathered by assessing each one of the key competencies, writing them down, and going through that experience to see where and when in the past you've demonstrated that competency. Interviewers can only promote on evidence. For instance, if the interviewer asks you about multi-disciplinary teams, or your clinical skills, then you should be ready to talk them through the part you've played in a recent team, or a piece of clinical experience that demonstrates you're ability to operate as part of a multidisciplinary team, not simply assert broad theory."

Once the doctor hoping for promotion has shown his or her competence through a specific instance from their past, they should next try to show how they have grown or developed as a result of that experience.

"You need to show the interviewer not just that you can lead teams, but that you have learned what makes teams work, or fail, " said Myler. "You need to prove not just that you have handled crises, but that you have learned which approaches cut through chaos and which exacerbate it. There's an old quote that says 'experience is not what you have done, it's what you have learned' and that is key to differentiating yourself at interview; showing what your experience has taught you."

This is the reason why panels dig for detail at interview - they are not trying to trip you up, they are simply trying to get as much information from you as they can about the insights you've acquired.

About your thinking, your learning, about the legacy of your experiences.

"The key to success is preparation, " said Myler.

"Guessing the kind of questions you'll be asked is not rocket science, but learning to structure your answers in a way which reveals your unique talents and your unique learning takes time, effort and a commitment to communicate a lot more than technical skill."