Dr Umar Mahmood
Paediatric Cardiologist - Founder, Excel Medical - MSc Med Ed (UCL)
I don't give you a script. I help you find language for things you already know
and then I help you believe in it
Welcome to Excel Medical
I've sat on both sides of the interview panel. That changes everything about how I coach.
Most interview coaches teach you what to say. I teach you how to think — because I've spent years as both the candidate trying to get through and the clinician deciding who does.
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I'm a Paediatric Cardiologist who has been obsessed with education, teaching, and helping doctors reach their potential since my second year of medical school. Over the past 15 years I've built teaching programmes, earned an MSc in Medical Education from UCL, sat on NHS interview panels, and coached hundreds of doctors into the posts they deserve.
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Excel Medical exists because I kept seeing the same thing: brilliant, capable doctors losing out to less experienced candidates who simply knew how to present themselves better. That felt wrong. So I decided to do something about it.
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Qualifications and Experience
MSc Medical Education
Postgraduate master's degree in medical education from University College London — one of the world's leading institutions in the field. This isn't a background interest; it's a formal qualification in how people learn.
Paediatric Cardiologist
Completed specialist training in Paediatric Cardiology in January 2023, having trained across the East of England and East Midlands deaneries since 2012. Knows the training pathway from the inside.
National education programme founder
Currently founder and lead of the national education programme for Paediatric Emergency Cardiologists (PECs) — an active leadership role in NHS medical education at national level.
Teaching Fellow West Midlands
Spent a dedicated year as a Teaching Fellow responsible for clinical medical students across the hospital — gaining deep experience in bedside teaching, simulation, and supporting learners in clinical settings.
Both sides of the interview panel
Has sat on NHS interview panels as well as going through competitive specialty training interviews personally. That combination — candidate and assessor — gives a uniquely complete understanding of what panels are really looking for.
MESS — Barts and the London
Founded the Medical Education Support System at Barts as a second-year student — a peer teaching programme that grew into a medical school within a medical school, running for five years and training dozens of student teachers.
Why Excel Medical is different
I deliver every session personally
Whether it is live sessions or pre-recorded content , when you book with Excel Medical, you get me — my experience, my attention, and my genuine commitment to your outcome.
I've been on both sides of the panel
I know what it feels like to sit in the candidate's chair under pressure. I also know what panels are actually looking for — and what they write on their scoring sheets. That combination is rare.
I build around you, not a template
No two doctors are the same. Every coaching session starts with understanding who you are, what you've done, and what you want. Then we build from there — not from a generic framework that fits everyone and nobody.
I stay with you after the session
A question the night before your interview, a follow-up after you find out how it went — I'm not a service that disappears once your payment clears. I'm genuinely invested in what happens next for you.
A note from Umar
I set up Excel Medical because I kept watching brilliant doctors miss out on posts they deserved — not because they weren't good enough, but because nobody had helped them learn how to show it.
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The NHS interview is a skill. Like any skill, it can be learned, practised, and improved. What I do is give you the tools, the framework, and the confidence to walk into that room as the best version of yourself — not a polished version of someone else.
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I hope to work with you soon.
He understood who I was as a person and helped me overcome mental barriers — not just prepare answers
Umar really pays attention and hones in on who you are as a person to deliver a bespoke coaching service
His supportive manner is so welcomed during such a stressful period. His enthusiasm for wanting you to succeed really spurs you on.
Work with Umar
Book a free 15 minute call with Umar. No commitment - Just a conversation about where you are and how we can help
07772529911