About Us

Olivier Picard - Managing Director
Communication, Business and Management consultant.

Olivier has over 30 years' experience in communication, management and business, including the past 17 years with an exclusive focus on medicine. As well as being involved in management training for senior managers, Olivier runs interviewing courses for interviewers both within and outside of the NHS. He also sits on consultant interview panels as a lay member. Through his involvement in coaching thousands of doctors for medical interviews personally over the years, his intensive network within NHS management and, being married to an NHS consultant for the past 22 years, Olivier has developed an extensive knowledge of past and current NHS issues, which is particularly appreciated by candidates who attend his consultant interview courses.

Olivier is a frequent and popular speaker at external events such as recruitment fairs, NHS trust meetings and training sessions, as well as medical schools and has written several books on medical interviews which have become reference books. Using a wide range of techniques, he has demonstrated an innovative and personal way of teaching which is designed to optimise the learning experience and boost the self-confidence of course participants. As a result he has guaranteed the success of the vast majority of the candidates he has trained, whatever their initial level of confidence and skills. He is renowned for his enthusiastic and dynamic style of teaching, with a strong ability to encourage personal participation. His friendly, though direct and no-nonsense approach is much appreciated by candidates.

Narbeh Melikian
Consultant Cardiologist

Narbeh is a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at King's College Hospital London. He trained in medicine and cardiology in London and has also worked as a cardiologist in South Africa and Belgium.

Narbeh has over 15 years experience in communication and medical education and is a highly popular lecturer both in the UK and abroad, lecturing on all aspects of medicine including specialist courses including preparation for the MRCP examination.

As a trainer, Narbeh has an adaptable and dynamic style of tutoring which he tailors to meet the individual needs and requirements of all his delegates, regardless of grade or specialty. He also places great emphasis on providing constructive and confidence building feedback to bring out the best in all participants

Muhuntha ("Mo") Gnanalingham
Consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care

Mo’s clinical background is in Paediatric Intensive Care (PICU), having had extensive training in General Paediatrics, Neonates, Anaesthetics and PICU (both nationally and internationally at Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital, Australia). He maintains his interest in clinical and laboratory research having completed his PhD in Developmental Physiology at the University of Nottingham in 2005. He has received numerous awards, honours and grants throughout his training. Mo has acted as the Royal College (RCPCH) Representative on Advisory Appointment Committees for substantive jobs in General Paediatrics and PICU.

Mo is an accredited Mentor (awarded the prestigious Mentor Exemplar in 2013), Mentor Champion, Executive Coach (having completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Executive Coaching with Distinction), Career Champion and Mediator, and has close links with NHS North West Academies of Leadership, Mentoring and Coaching. Mo has used these complementary skills to enhance his extensive teaching experience to undergraduate and postgraduate trainees, as well as allied health care professionals, through the use of multimodal teaching methods, including simulation. He has received national and international recognition and accreditation for his interest in medical teaching and education, and was awarded the title of Honorary Senior Lecturer in 2009.

As a facilitator, Mo has an enthusiastic and dynamic style of tutoring which is tailored to meet the individual needs of his delegates, regardless of grade or specialty. He also places great emphasis on providing accurate and constructive feedback, with the aim of empowering delegates to make ‘their best even better’.

Ishtiaq (Ish) Ahmed
Consultant Cardiac Surgeon

Ish was appointed consultant in cardiac surgery in 2011. He has trained in Leeds and Cambridge and spent the majority of his specialist training in the Northern Deanery. He undertook a PhD at the Victor Chang Cardiac Institute in Sydney. In 2012 he was awarded a scholarship from the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons, which enabled him to pursue his subspecialty interest in mitral valve surgery at centres of excellence in Britain and in France.

Ish has taken his medical skills to the track and has been a doctor at the world indoor track cycling championships where he initially developed an interest into the parallels between sporting success and performance in medicine.

He has been teaching with ISC since January 2012 and has proved to be able to impart his winning formula onto many candidates who then went on to experience the same success. Ish receives consistently good feedback, with delegates regularly commenting on his approachability and his ability to provide supportive and constructive feedback.

Ram Matsa
Consultant in Acute Medicine & Intensive Care

Ram Matsa is dually accredited in Acute Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine and is working as a Consultant Intensivist in University Hospitals North Staffordshire. He underwent post graduate training in medicine at Wessex and Intensive care at Oxford Deanery. He was an outstanding trainee and has made significant contribution towards postgraduate education. He completed an academic degree from Cardiff University and is now the Chief Investigator for NGAL Research, a study looking at acute kidney injury biomarker in critically ill patients.

He has vast experience and knowledge in teaching and training diverse needs from medical students to post graduate students. He was nominated for “Significant contributor towards post graduate teaching award”. He has a special interest in Human factors and simulation guided teaching. He currently serves as a course director for two popular courses in the region: Royal College approved tracheostomy workshop and acute care ultrasound course.

Ram has a natural adaptability to the student needs and simplifies complex issues and delivers them in a way of easy understanding. When it comes to coaching for interviews, his positive enthusiastic and formulated approach towards responding to questions is well commended. He provides constructive feedback that develops confidence amongst the delegates, notably, some of his feedback include “supportive, encouraging and insightful trainer”.

Chris Barnes
Former Health Authority Chair

Chris is a very experienced interviewer, facilitator, coach and trainer with public and private sector Board experience. He has worked with doctors since 1996 and brings well informed non-clinical experience of the NHS to his interview skills coaching.

He was the Corporate Affairs Director of a government department and then a non-executive Director and subsequently Chair of a Health Authority. During that time he led the overhaul of commissioning in the county and worked closely with the Boards of the NHS Trusts involved. Chris was also an Accredited Independent Appointments Assessor for Defra and a Civil Service Selection Board Chair, helping to recruit graduates for the “fast-stream”. In business, he led the establishment of the ‘Red Tractor’ food assurance scheme.

He has extensive experience of running ISC’s interview skills courses for Registrars and Consultants and of coaching them on a one-to-one basis. In the past he has also run many workshops on leadership, management, appraisal and revalidation and educational and clinical supervision. He has also worked individually with NHS senior managers, Senior Civil Servants and others, assisting them to come to terms with changing circumstances and mentoring them on the development of their careers.

Participants have consistently commented on Chris’ friendly and engaging style and his breadth of experience. They have also highlighted his ability to give penetrating and constructive feedback in a supportive, kindly and non-threatening way.

Fiona Cuthbertson
Consultant Ophthalmologist

Fiona has been a Consultant in Ophthalmology for over 10 years, and has held service lead roles in three different NHS trusts. Having worked across general Ophthalmology, her main clinical interests now include medical retinal diseases. She has actively sought opportunities for research, and was awarded her MD in 2016 by the University of Oxford.

Fiona has extensive experience of teaching at all levels and by a variety of methods, ranging from one to one teaching to large formal lectures. As a trained Coach and an Appraiser she is used to supporting individuals to get the best out of themselves, and her teaching style is encouraging and enthusiastic. She gives realistic but constructive feedback, and prides herself on making a difference to those she teaches.

In her work with ISC, Fiona is able to draw on her experience of the consultant interview process from both sides, having also fulfilled roles on a range of Advisory Appointment Committees.

Petros Lekkos
Consultant Psychiatrist

Petros is a Consultant Adult Psychiatrist working for Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (Acute Assessment Ward and Early Intervention Service). He graduated in Greece and completed all his postgraduate training at the prestigious Royal Free/UCL training scheme for psychiatry over 7 years. He holds a MSc in Psychiatric Research from UCL and is an accredited Cognitive Analytic Therapy Practitioner with a PG Diploma.

He has over 7 years experience in medical education and has lectured at UCL, King's, Imperial and abroad at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. He has won the “Top Teacher for Neurosciences” award at UCL for the past two years. He has a keen interest in medical management and first-hand experience of change management as a leader of quality/efficiency improvement projects (on out-of-hours medical cover and IT).

Petros has been with ISC since 2012 and has been consistently described as an approachable, enthusiastic and knowledgeable trainer, who facilitates the group very well. He provides honest and constructive feedback and tailors the course to the delegates' needs giving clear rationale for the way to answer questions and land the job!

David van Dellen
Consultant Transplant Surgeon

David is a consultant renal and pancreas transplant surgeon at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. He is also one of the consultants providing the national Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis (EPS) service from Manchester. He trained in Medicine in South Africa and did his specialist training in General and Transplantation Surgery between Manchester and Birmingham where he undertook an MD in Epithelial Biology. He has active research interests in risk stratification for solid organ transplantation as well as the pathogenesis of EPS.

David has broad experience in Medical Education and has lectured and taught extensively at both under- and post-graduate level. He has extensive interview experience and is currently enrolled for a Postgraduate Certificate in Surgical Education.

A successful graduate of the ISC consultant interview course, David has an enthusiastic approach to teaching. He provides engaging and constructive but focused feedback ultimately ensuring assurance and improved confidence for the candidates.

Doug Pendsé
Consultant Radiologist

Doug is currently working as a Consultant radiologist at University College London Hospitals, specialising in urological imaging and intervention. Having completed surgical training in Oxford Deanery, Doug moved to UCL to embark upon a career in research. After dotoral-level research in image-guided ablation he was awarded the first NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship in radiology in 2007. Combining clinical training in radiology with translational MRI research, Doug was awarded FRCR and subsequently appointed as a post-doctoral NIHR Clinical Lecturer at UCL in 2012.

With a long track record of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, Doug understands the importance of non-clinical teaching and coaching - something oftern neglected in medical training. He is committed to the belief that senior doctors can make a real difference to the careers of medical students and junior doctors through mentorship and personal development programmes. Doug has been a personal tutor at UCL medical school for several years and enjoys the challenge of mentoring undergraduates through the trials and tribulations of their burgeoning medical careers.

An engaging and enthusiastic trainer, Doug's frank no-nonsense approach helps focus the minds of those preparing for consultant interviews. As a successful graduate of the ISC consultant interview course, he knows what you need to do to prepare for success.

Ross Elledge
Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Ross is a Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust with subspecialty interests in skin cancer, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery and medical/dental education.

Following completion of higher surgical training in the West Midlands, he undertook national Training Interface Group (TIG) Fellowships in Reconstructive Aesthetic Surgery and the Management of Skin Cancer in Nottingham and Leeds respectively.

Ross has a strong interest in medical/dental education and graduated with distinction from the acclaimed Masters in Medical Education (MMEd) distance-learning programme with the University of Dundee. Since 2016 he has held the position of Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer with the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. He has published pedagogical research concentrating on technology-enhanced learning (TEL), particularly the design of bespoke virtual learning environments (VLEs) and flipped classrooms.

Dr Vidya Thavamokankanthi
GP

Vidya is a GP working in St Albans, Hertfordshire. She graduated from The Royal Free and University College London Medical School. Vidya completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes with distinction, and is the diabetic lead in her Practice. She is also the Diabetes Locality Lead for Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group. In addition to her interest in Sexual and Reproductive Health, Vidya is an enthusiast for Medical Education and has run courses with ISC since 2010. She has been described as an inspirational, genuine and highly supportive trainer, who adapts her teaching style to suit all groups. She provides constructive feedback tailored to the individual, integrating honest and practical suggestions for improvement. This has been consistently reflected in the candidate feedback she has received.

David Whittaker
Registrar in Emergency Medicine

David is an Emergency Medicine Registrar at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, who graduated from Peninsula Medical School. He has always been passionate about teaching and is heavily involved in teaching junior doctors and Imperial College Medical students, for whom he is also an examiner. He is an instructor on advanced trauma life support courses and is also engaged in providing medical care for champions league football, motor racing events and scientific and research expeditions around the world. David's feedback is consistently positive; he is supportive and approachable trainer, with a proven track record in motivating candidates and boosting their confidence in their own abilities.