SCE Revision Course Exam overview and how to answer questions

Transcription

1 SCE Revision Course Exam overview and how to answer questions

2 SCE revision course aims Advice on: What to expect Exam preparation Exam technique You cannot learn the entire AIM curriculum in a day!

3 Purpose: Why do we have an SCE? 1. To ensure certified specialists have sufficient knowledge of their specialty to practice safely as consultants 2. To complement work-based assessments 3. Provide a rigorous national assessment to establish public confidence 4. Offer a challenge similar to the sub-specialty certification exams in North America

4 How do we prepare the exam? Question writing: at least 210 consultant hours Exam Board: 120 consultant hours Standard setting: 120 consultant hours Each exam takes a minimum of 56 consultant days to set Every question gets discussed / argued about several times!

5 How do we set the pass mark? Specialists in AIM go through each Q and decide what % of just passing (borderline) candidates should get the answer right e.g. if it s an ALS question nearly everyone should get it right Standard setting meetings consistently come up with the same pass mark each year There is then a post-exam statistical analysis that may adjust the pass mark referenced against UK candidates only

6 Practicalities of sitting the exam All the SCEs are delivered by Pearson VUE across a network of test centres in the UK and abroad Candidates must arrive at test centres at least 30 minutes before the exam is due to start Candidates who arrive late will not be able to take the exam and will not be able to claim a refund unless there were mitigating circumstances that can be supported by documentary evidence

7 You must bring the correct ID to the exam! On arrival at a centre, candidates must provide: Two ID documents, one showing your name, photograph and signature (i.e. a valid passport or UK photocard driving licence), the other your name and signature (e.g. a credit card) The confirmation proving you have registered for the exam Your proof of identity must match your examination registration details! Candidates who do not provide identity documents that match their examination registration details cannot sit the exam If your names are different (e.g. one is your maiden name and the other your married name), you must present an original official document that links the two names (e.g. a marriage certificate) or raise the name discrepancy with MRCP(UK) at least two working days before the exam

8 In the exam room itself Other tests may be taking place in the exam room (e.g. theory driving tests) You cannot take anything into the test room, for example: any electronic or electrical equipment (e.g. mobile phones) paper of any kind bags and coats purses and wallets food and drink (water) non-essential medicines The test centres provide water and secure lockers for the storage of candidates belongings

9 In the exam room itself Wipe-clean board and pens are available for each candidate for any calculations Candidates may leave the room temporarily but no additional time will be allowed to complete the assessment You are not allowed to leave early if you finish early There is a one-hour break between Papers 1 and 2 You are permitted to leave the test centre but anyone who returns late will be not be allowed in to the test room Some centres do not have parking facilities or places to buy lunch so research your centre in advance!

10 SCE blueprint Topic Cancer, haematology & palliative care Critical care medicine (ICU, ALS, sepsis) Cardiovascular medicine Clinical pharmacology & poisoning Diabetes & endocrinology Gastroenterology & hepatology Infectious diseases Medicine in the elderly Musculosketal medicine Neurology & ophthalmology Renal medicine Respiratory medicine Other* No of questions (total 200) *Allergy & immunology, dermatology, clinical genetics, mental health, Law, public health, quality & safety, diagnostic test interpretation

11 What happens after the exam? Provisional results sent to MRCP(UK) Research Unit Question statistics calculated (difficulty and discrimination) Exam Board Chair reviews stats and may remove poorly performing Qs Results recalculated, scores finalised and pass mark calculated Exam Board Chair approves results RESULTS RELEASED Results are published on candidates MyMRCP(UK) accounts 4 weeks after the exam, and an official certificate is issued 6 weeks after the exam

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13 Tips for effective exam technique 1. After reading a question, try to summarise as precisely as possible, what the question is about* 2. Try to answer the question without looking at the answer options then look at the options: you can usually narrow the correct answer down to two options 3. To decide which option it is, read the lead-in again carefully 4. Don t spend too long on a single question there are 99 more to get through!

14 What is this question about? A 50-year-old man presented with 30 minutes of retrosternal, heavy chest discomfort while pottering about his office. He had never experienced this before. His past medical history comprised childhood asthma and hypertension for which he was taking ramipril. On examination he was pain free with normal vital signs. His physical examination was normal and his 12-lead ECG was normal. Blood results including serial HS-troponin-T normal. What is the next best investigation?

15 What is this question about? A 50-year-old man presented with single episode of cardiac sounding chest pain while pottering about his office. New onset. His past medical history comprised childhood asthma and hypertension for which he was taking ramipril. On examination he was pain free with normal vital signs. Normal cardiovascular examination and normal 12-lead ECG. Blood results including serial HS-troponin-T normal. What is the next best investigation?

16 Answer options A. Ambulatory ECG B. CT coronary angiography C. Coronary angiography D. Exercise electrocardiogram E. Stress echocardiography What is the next best investigation?

17 B. CT coronary angiography (second line: non-invasive functional testing )

18 What is this question about? A 24-year old man was admitted to hospital following an episode of transient loss of consciousness while running on a football pitch. Eye-witnesses said he just went down. He appeared pale and clammy but after a few minutes started to come round and was brought to hospital by ambulance. On examination, his vital signs were normal, and the clinical examination, including a lying and standing blood pressure, was normal. His 12-lead ECG was normal. What is the most appropriate next investigation to request?

19 What is this question about? A 24-year old man was admitted to hospital following an episode of syncope during exercise on a football pitch. Eye-witnesses said he just went down. He appeared pale and clammy but after a few minutes started to come round and was brought to hospital by ambulance. On examination, his vital signs were normal, and the normal clinical examination, including a lying and standing blood pressure, was normal. Normal 12-lead ECG. What is the most appropriate next investigation?

20 Answer options A. Ambulatory ECG B. CT scan of the head C. Echocardiography D. Exercise electrocardiogram E. Tilt test What is the most appropriate next investigation?

21 D. Exercise electrocardiogram

22 What is this question about? A 70-year-old woman was admitted with vertigo, vomiting and ataxia which she had never experienced before. It started when she woke up that morning and had persisted for several hours. It got worse whenever she moved her head. Her past medical history comprised Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, for which she was taking metformin, ramipril and bendroflumethiazide. On examination her vital signs were normal. She was unable to walk without the assistance of her son. A neurological examination revealed horizontal nystagmus (fast component to the right) when she looked to the right and also when she looked to the left (fast component to the left). There were no other neurological signs. What is the most likely diagnosis?

23 What is this question about? A 70-year-old woman was admitted with a single episode of prolonged vertigo which she had never experienced before. It started when she woke up that morning and had persisted for several hours. It got worse whenever she moved her head. Her past medical history comprised vascular risk factors, for which she was taking metformin, ramipril and bendroflumethiazide. On examination her vital signs were normal. She was unable to walk without the assistance of her son. A neurological examination revealed direction changing nystagmus. There were no other neurological signs. What is the most likely diagnosis?

24 Answer options A. Benign positional vertigo B. Meniere s Disease C. Stroke D. Vestibular neuronitis E. Viral labyrinthitis What is the most likely diagnosis?

25 Answer options A. Benign positional vertigo B. Meniere s Disease C. Stroke D. Vestibular neuronitis E. Viral labyrinthitis What is the most likely diagnosis?

26 Correct answers can be: Based on guidelines NICE National e.g. SIGN, ALS, BTS, British Infection Association, Association of British Clinical Diabetologists, DVLA etc. Based on best practice/theoretical principles e.g. give Pabrinex before glucose to alcoholics Based on your clinical knowledge e.g. clinical findings in different diseases

27 Remember: the correct answer is not (necessarily): What I do every day at work.

28 Effective exam technique: summary 1. After reading a question, try to summarise as precisely as possible, what the question is about 2. Try to answer the question without looking at the answer options then look at the options: you can usually narrow the correct answer down to two options 3. To decide which option it is, read the lead-in again carefully 4. Don t spend too long on a single question there are 99 more to get through!

29 Any questions?