Rcpsych Exam Syllabus

[Ferdinando Addison]

Myname is Dr. Marium Mansoor, 28 years old, married, and mum to a lovely daughter. I am from Karachi, Pakistan, and have lived my entire life here. I am a graduate of Dow medical college (2014) and did my residency/ training in Psychiatry from Aga Khan University hospital, Karachi. My first language is Urdu, but I was taught and trained in English. Like many of you, I once dreamt to be an MRCPsych and once upon a time, it looked like an impossible dream.

I am one of the fortunate ones to pass all three MRCPsych exams in the first attempts. I became a member in October 2020. I would like to share my journey with all of you with the hope to be of some help for all the IMGs aspiring for MRCPsych.

I started thinking of MRCPsych back in 2016, as soon as I started my Psychiatry training. The initial bit was to do homework on the core syllabus and structure of the exam and the eligibility criteria. I was mindful from the beginning that if I plan for MRCPsych during my training I will have to ensure I fulfil my primary training requirements, goals, and objectives; one of which was to give my local postgraduate exams timely (FCPS psychiatry).

You are eligible to take Paper A if you are a fully registered medical practitioner. You do not need GMC registration to sit the Paper A of MRCPsych. As long as you are registered with a medical council, you can sit the exam.

I would recommend doing SPMM mock as well, it will give you a good idea of the real exam. Spend more time with EMIs, time yourself while doing mocks. Despite all the preparation, I struggled with times.

Paper B is a three-hour exam worth 150 marks, comprised of 150 questions. It is made up of approximately two-thirds multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and one-third extended matching item questions (EMI).

I attempted my CASC in Sept 2020. At that time I was working as a faculty at AKUH Karachi. Like my previous exams, I started early, I.e. 5-6 months before exam day. I gave my CASC online due to COVID. The college, however, plans to continue the exam in person after COVID.

A College resource available is Trainees Online (TrOn) which is an online learning resource to support trainee psychiatrists in preparing for MRCPsych exams. For any queries regarding TrOn please contact tr...@rcpsych.ac.uk.

The College Library provides revision materials for trainees, including an eBook of The Maudsley Trainee Guide to the CASC. Access is via an RCPsych OpenAthens account, if you do not have an account yet, get in touch.

Trainees Online (TrOn) is the online learning resource to support trainee psychiatrists in preparing for the MRCPsych Paper A exam. Our TrOn modules have been mapped to the MRCPsych syllabus, 1-5 (inclusive).

For many overseas psychiatrists, as well as UK based trainees, the MRCPsych exams can be overwhelming. Where do you turn for study materials? How do you prepare for the exams? What are the exams dates and fees? Where can I sit the exam? How can I find support online?

Sample Papers: These will help you prepare and polish your exam techniques and are a good idea to regularly benchmark your knowledge against the syllabus. In addition, sample questions will help you work quickly on the day, you will already know what to expect. The sample papers can be found here.

Marking schemes: Candidates pass or fail the written papers based on their performance, and not how well you perform against other candidates. As such, it is a good idea to understand how the exam is marked, so you can maximise your exam skills and give yourself the best chance of a pass. Marking schemes can be found here.

Online exam guidance: Detailed guidance written specifically to guide candidates in preparing for an sitting an online exam, including technology checks and timings. The guidance can be accessed here.

If you are completing the papers in order, the next step will be to apply for Paper B. For more information take a look at our blog where we explore MRCPsych Paper B and everything you need to know about how to sit the exam, including syllabus, dates, results, fees and preparation.

So, what study materials, courses and support are available for international psychiatrists? Here we have compiled some of the best guidance and resources to help in your preparation for the Paper B exam. We will also address some of the changes in the availability of test centres and exam delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 150-mark paper comprises It is made up of around two-thirds multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and one-third extended matching item questions (EMI). One third of the paper covers critical review, with the other two thirds covering clinical topics.

It can be tough to know the best place to start, and after talking with some psychiatry consultants (both IMGs and UK trainees), the consensus was that the Royal College website is the best place to begin. There are some great resources on their website to help applicants to prepare for the exam. See below:

Current critical review syllabus: For Paper B, candidates will need to ensure that they make optimal use of the MRCPsych Paper B critical review - evidence-based practice syllabic content, available here.

Sample Papers: These will help you polish your exam techniques and are a good way to regularly benchmark your knowledge against the syllabus. Additionally, they will help you work quickly on the day as you will already know what to expect. The samples can be found here.

Marking schemes: Candidates pass or fail the written papers based on their performance. As such, it is a good idea to understand how the exam is marked so you can maximise your exam skills, giving you the best chance of a pass. These can be accessed here.

SPMM Starter Study Materials: A range of comprehensive study materials and subject-based question banks with evidence-based answers and explanations (SPMM HiYield and SmartRevise). These are available for 6 months from the date of purchase for the price of 299 and can be found here.

SPMM Video Lectures: A course covering the most important questions pertaining to clinical and critical appraisal topics. This is delivered through 19 hours of viewing - 10.5 hours of clinical topics and 8.5 hours of critical appraisal. Also provided is a PDF of Q-Bank to print and practice. These are available for 3 months from the date of purchase for the price of 199 and can be found here.

Brainscape Flashcards: Sets of web and mobile flashcards with hundreds of questions across all of the syllabus covered in the MRCPsych Paper B exam. This free resource can be used as either revision or practice material and is available here.

Superego Caf Question Bank: This question bank provides over 500 multiple choice questions to help you prepare for your examination. The question bank includes constantly updated revision questions and is available as a mixed variety to reflect the MRCPsych Paper B examination. This can be accessed here.

BMJ Revision Questions: The BMJ has created an app-based revision resource with over 270 core questions, including the SBA and EMQ formats that will be seen in the exam. They are available at several price points dependent on the duration of access, from 29.99 for one month to 129.99 for 12 months. These are available here.

Get Through MRCPsych Paper B: Written by authors with recent exam success, the book provides candidates with realistic and up to date MCQ and EMIs, closely matched to themes appearing most often in the Paper B exam. This can be found here.

TrickCyclists Exam Notes: A series of psychiatry notes specifically tailored to the MRCPsych Paper B exam, including the nine topics covered by the exam and more. They are available in word and PDF format and are free to be used, distributed and modified. They are available here.

A three-hour long exam which simulates exam conditions with a mock exam paper comprising new questions not available in the question bank. It includes a revision mode, timed tests, extensive performance analysis and powerful question review functions.

These practice tests are simulations of the real exam prepared to the exam blueprint, allowing you to identify your weakest areas before the actual exam. This package includes access to 6 individual practice papers, comprising reconstructed questions from the most recent exams. Subscriptions can be purchased only 10 weeks before the College exam date.

This is a tailored MRCPsych Paper A course for overseas psychiatrists. This course offers weekly sessions covering the exam and its various domains. This is accompanied by practice MCQs and EMQs for exam-style practice, delivered by an experienced NHS psychiatrist and specialist psychiatry recruiters. These sessions are completely free to all doctors.

The course is supplemented by additional advice and guidance on MRCPsych as a whole, GMC registration support, as well as guidance and webinars on other topics such as finding work in the NHS, relocation support and specialist registration.

As a result of the pandemic, all MRCPsych exams have moved online. Applicants from Singapore and Hong Kong who intended to sit exams in local centres are also invited to apply for the online sitting of the exam. You can learn more about the online exams for MRCPsych in the blog we've written here.

We are looking to recruit a Consultant Psychiatrist to a Crisis & Assessment Team role in the Channel Islands, a UK territory sitting off the coast of France and just a 1 hour flight from London. This job presents a great opportunity to advance your medical career in the UK.

The health service, separate from the NHS, is an integrated, taxation-funded system, free at the point of delivery, managed by the Health and Community Services Department on the island. Key benefits of working there are higher salaries than the NHS, lower taxes and sunnier weather.

Consultant Pay range - 110,257 to 164,372

Single rate of tax - 20%.

The Department & Team

The Crisis and Assessment Team (CAT) serves as the primary gateway to adult and older people\'s mental health services, conducting assessments in the community and emergency settings, alongside medical reviews. They collaborate closely with law enforcement, responding to Adult Protection Notices and coordinating mental health law assessments. This role within the CAT focuses on streamlining referrals, providing short-term crisis interventions, and ensuring individuals receive appropriate ongoing care. You\'ll engage with both working-age adults and older adults, with responsibilities extending to police referrals and mental health law assessments during standard working hours, with on-call commitments.

Continued Professional Development

Professional development is integral to their ethos, offering CESR Portfolio Pathway support, access to specialty training, and opportunities for sub-specialist development. They prioritize ongoing learning through conferences, local CME events, and a generous study leave allowance.

Life in the area

Living in this location offers significant financial benefits. The flat income tax rate of 20% is notably advantageous compared to the UK, and a generous public sector pension scheme is provided, not constrained by UK lifetime or annual contribution limits. The consultant contract closely mirrors the UK model but offers higher incremental levels starting at 110,257 and with a top basic salary of 164,372.

Am I eligible for this role?

UK based candidates:

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