Copyright © 2010 PasTest 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/ PasTest Blog. http://blog.pastest.co.uk/ PasTest PasTest PasTest en 1440 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/mrcs-b-osce-changes-and-new-online-revision-resource-67/ It's all change for MRCS B this week.  The Royal College of Surgeons have finally announced the concrete changes to the MRCS Part B OSCE exam.  As suspected, they've dropped the dedicated history taking station, and this is now incorporated informally to most stations, and more explicitly in the communication skills stations. For us, it couldn't have come at a better time - we're working hard on our brand new online revision for MRCS B: OsceCases, and the phenomenal Mrs Catherine Parchment-Smith is making final adjustments to her forthcoming book for MRCS Part B. OsceCases is the first of its kind: an online revision resource featuring key exam cases with focused teaching, illustrating symptoms and signs and demonstrating perfect technique.  Launching in April, we'll have sample cases and free trial subscriptions available soon. Our other new product for MRCS Part B is MRCS Part B OSCEs: Essential Revision Notes.  Part of her indispensable Essential Revision Notes series, which has helped thousands of surgeons pass MRCS Part A; this new title will become the bible for MRCS Part B candidates everywhere.  Based on the bestselling Surgical Short Cases for the MRCS, this fantastic new title covers everything you need to know about the exam. MRCS B OSCE 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/mrcs-b-osce-changes-and-new-online-revision-resource-67/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/dentisty-revision-online-is-here-66/ It's launch day!  Our fantastic 6 month subscriptions are now available, and all the questions are active.  For just 30 you'll have unlimited access to hundreds of exam format questions for a full 6 months.  We're also offering a 20% discount for all Dental Protection Society members making a subscription just 24 (or a tiny 4 per month!). My favourite feature is the exam builder, which you can find in the question browser.  You can build an exam that only tests you on what you want; either the question types that appear in your upcoming exam, or just the specialties that you've already revised.  It's great because it means that you won't be demoralised struggling with a question on a subject you haven't looked at for two years! You'll also receive a weekly performance report.  Sent to your inbox every Friday it illustrates your strengths and weaknesses, your progress through the database, and also how you're doing against others using the site. Dentistry 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/dentisty-revision-online-is-here-66/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/dentistry-revision-free-trial-subscriptions-available-now-65/ Our trial subscriptions are now available!  We're getting ready for the full launch of PasTest Online for Dentistry on 1st February, and have launched our free trial subscriptions today.  Trial subscriptions last for two weeks, and include one question from each of the specialty areas so you can get an idea of what the full PasTest Online for Dentistry subscriptions will offer when they're launched. You can revise either using the random question feature, which just throws questions at you from any specialty, or using the question browser exam builder.  The exam builder means you can create your own exams to test only what you've revised.  You can choose questions by type (BoF, SAQ, EMQ, OSCE) and then specialty, before setting the length of the exam to test your ability to cope with the time constraints of the exam. Set up your free trial subscription now, have fun, and let me know what you think! Dentistry 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/dentistry-revision-free-trial-subscriptions-available-now-65/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/paces-advice-from-past-candidates-64/ After the last PACES diet we asked all our PACES course candidates from London and Manchester, and all our PacesCases users what one piece of advice they would give to anyone preparing for the PACES exam.  Below you will find their top tips for PACES success.  Please add your own PACES exam advice in the comments!   Keep practising and hope for good luck. Prepare yourself for thinking on the spot for something completely unexpected.  Otherwise just work on all the usual common stuff as everyone does. You really need to examine as many patients as possible in hospital with other candidates.  You cannot prepare for this exam alone unlike part 1 and 2 written. Focus on the top 20 list of symptoms. You have to attend a practical PACES course just before the exam Use all resources including attending PACES courses, do lots of practice with colleagues and see lots of patients under supervision of seniors who have recently made through PACES.  They will be able to guide you in a better way and improve your approach to preparations. Revise with PasTest online revision PacesCases!!!! Just revise and be confident. Practise, practise, practise. Focus on presentation. Start preparing early. Start preparing early.  See as many cases as possible. Practise every day with a colleague preparing or taking the exam Do a PACES course! Keep on seeing patients, get grilled by consultants!! Practise presentations over and over...and get someone to grill you. Practise, practice, practice. Stick to basics, and learn clinical medicine as if you are starting out as a clinical medical student again, but this time with the benefit of a few years' worth of practical experience. Practise.  Supervised practise of real cases and their presentation is the most important part of preparation for the PACES exam. Practise with each other Concentrate on clinical and practical issues Practise time management Practise examinations over and over again. Word hard, it is a very slippery exam. Practise, practise, practice. Forget when examining that there is a examiner , much easier said than done!!!! Good luck to everyone. To see as many cases as possible Time management. Course can help you to be better organized, rather than just teaching. Preparation makes a big difference. I found myself answering questions without thinking twice and retrospectively wondered where I managed to pluck the answers from. Somehow I get the impression that examiners don't necessarily know a lot about the topic they are examining and have quite a specific list of key words and phrases they hope to hear from the candidate. Yet by sounding somewhat confident, you can possibly shake that confident exterior that PACES examiners inevitably put on. Dare I say, it is possible to be confidently wrong? Practise, practise and practise makes perfect. Take time to prepare. Do not rush. See as many patients as possible. Get out there on the wards.  You cannot learn all the skills required in a text book. Take online PasTest and apply it the next day to your patients youll get good experience and knowledge. See as many patients as possible in the hospital. Ask your SpRs and Consultants to take rounds I enjoyed the PACES course.  Practise Be calm at the exam  Practise  Practise  PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE!!! Both examining patients, presenting and theory (knowledge base) Be calm and confident Practise makes perfect Must see lots of patients To study online PacesCases Look at PacesCases Practise station 5 a lot! Form a group, see plenty of patients. Must go on a PACES course to reinforce, get feedback and see rarer cases which are not so rare in the exam. For station 5 have a technique to make sure you score points in all 7 areas in the new mark scheme, this is very important. Practise on patients on the ward with a PACES buddy and go on at least one course. Focus on the things that you feel most scared about! Relax and you can make it Practicing with others in front of consultants (ideally a few examiners) is the surest way to understand what is required in the exam. Frequent case presentation in a group on daily basis Practise and practise with a colleague See as many patients and present as much as possible Candidates should see more and more patients Learn to recognize the signs that quickly point towards a diagnosis, which leads to a more focused examination, e.g. presence of an AV fistula is bound to be a renal case, inhalers/peak flow meter are likely to indicate COPD/asthma, Corrigan's pulse to be found in aortic regurgitation. In other words, start narrowing down the possibilities as soon as one walks into a station as this is primarily a diagnosis-driven examination. Some of the videos in PacesCases do show this, esp. with an initial overview of the patient or with photos/closeups as adjuncts. See as many patients as possible. Favour this over book reading. Get people to watch you and give a viva so you are used to being watched and get the practise of presenting. When this isn't possible practise presenting common cases in front of the mirror. Definitely attend a course. They are expensive but very much worth it. Practice with a friend and SpR's.  Time yourselves. Dont fear the stations and just watch the time. Read as much as you can, and practise as much as you study You need to see as many cases as possible. Time management is paramount.  Practise practise practice. Practising a lot in your clinical work.   PacesCases is useful. Attend a PACES course close to the exam. Practise seeing patients on the wards - this is the best way to ensure success. Attend a PACES course to get a feel of exam situation.   MRCP PACES 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/paces-advice-from-past-candidates-64/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/about-me-hannah-brown-63/ It occured to me last night that despite writing blog posts on here since April I've never written anything about me or what I do at PasTest.  I've worked at PasTest since May 2005.  I studied European Studies at Modern Languages at Manchester University, and graduated in 2004.  I spent a year working in the European Parliament in Brussels, and ironically spent a lot of time working on the European Working Time Directive as the MEP I worked for was on the Employment and Social Affairs Committee.  I didn't get one lobbying letter from the medical community, neither did any of my colleagues.  Agency workers, shift workers, freelancers wrote in by the bucketload, but the medics never realised it would change the way their careers would progress and the way they practice. I started at PasTest in the events team, and was responsible for the SpR Management Course, MRCPCH 1 courses, MRCGP courses and PACES courses in London.  We also used to run an SHO to SpR interview preparation course which I loved, so with the advent of MMC in 2006/7 I moved in to a role that focused more on the career development courses we offered, with a lot of work on business development and growing this area. In 2008 I moved across to the marketing team, working on the PasTest website and all the newsletters we send out.  Although I don't have any formal marketing experience I know so much about the Royal College exams, career progression and the issues that affect doctors that I find it easy to relate. In 2009 I was made Marketing Manager, and work with the lovely Michele and Richard.  I'm also doing an MBA, which takes up a lot of my spare time. In non-work time I enjoy going to the cinema, reading and spending time with friends.  I'm extremely sociable, and get fidgety in a quiet room on my own!  I love going on holiday, but can't decide whether I prefer a beach holiday or a week hurtling down the ski slopes.  I normally try for both!   PasTest 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/about-me-hannah-brown-63/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/mrcs-b-osce-changes-62/ The MRCS B OSCE exam is changing again.  Despite being only a year old, the Royal College of Surgeons are introducing changes from the 2010(01) diet. The main changes to the MRCS B OSCE exam are that there will now be 18 OSCE stations (instead of 16), and these 18 stations will be across four broad content areas (four previously).  The weighting of the four 'broad content areas' will also be changed to better reflect basic sciences, including pathology.  It makes sense, because many of the candidates we talk to at our MRCS B OSCE courses and after the exam say that they didn't realise they needed to revise basic sciences until it was too late!  I think people really underestimate the important of going back to basics in this exam, so hopefully now that won't be so much of a problem. Like the MRCP PACES exam, the domains tested will no longer be pass/fail.  Instead, the feedback from each station will be used to draw together a picture of the candidate and their performance, and they will be marked accordingly.  One of the big changes is that all of the 18 stations will now be manned.  It used to be that just 12 of the 16 OSCE stations were manned, so this is something candidates attempting the MRCS B need to be aware of so they're not wrongfooted on the day.  Obviously our MRCS B OSCE course will be updated to reflect the changes and our brand new book will also be in line with the new exam.  Ms Catherine Parchment-Smith, author of our fantastic Essential Revision Notes for MRCS Book 1 and Book 2, and the indispensable Surgical Short Cases for the MRCS Clinical book is authoring the definitive guide to the MRCS B OSCE Exam.  Available in March 2010, MRCS: Part B OSCEs Essential Revision Notes will be the ultimate revision book, and the reviews so far are incredible! MRCS B OSCE 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/mrcs-b-osce-changes-62/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/dentistry-osces-61/ Methods of examination in clinical subjects have changed over the years.  The traditional essay writing and viva examinations have been superseded in some centres by short answer questions and practical examinations.  Objective structured clinical examinations or OSCEs, as they are more commonly known are becoming more popular.  They provide a means of testing a wide variety of practical skills and knowledge in a standardised and structured manner.  The use of clinical models has also enabled certain clinical skills to be examined without the need for patients.  However, some stations do require the use of patients (both actual and actors), in particular assessment of communication skills, information providing and consent. PasTest Online for dentistry and our range of PasTest dental books help students preparing to sit OSCEs in dentistry at undergraduate dental student level and postrgraduate level, with candidates sitting the MJDF and ORE exams amongst others.  Our revision includes a variety of OSCE stations and lists the things that the examiners will expect to see you carry out in order to pass the station.  They show that a correct diagnosis without the preceding steps does not always lead to a satisfactory score, and marks are awarded for things such as an introduction and empathy.  They are not meant as textbook type resources to teach you how to perform various clinical skills, but rather to provide frameworks around which most answers/tasks can be performed. Dentistry 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/dentistry-osces-61/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/mcqs-in-dentistry-revision-60/ Multiple choice questions have been used for many years as a way of testing a candidate's knowledge and recall of information.  Over the years they have been in and out of vogue but a lot of courses have seen a resurgence in their usage recently.  The cynics amongst you may think that MCQs are popular because they are easy to mark!  Whatever the reason they are an accepted and frequently used method of testing knowledge. The aim is to get as many marks as possible, so it is necessary to know how the questions are going to be marked.  For example, if negative marking is used then you receive a mark for each correct answer and have a mark deducted for each wrong answer.  This is important to know as guessing in this type of test will cause you to lose marks.  However, if there is no negative marking it is possible to guess answers without losing marks. When doing MCQs in dental exams, it is important to read the questions carefully and read what is written and not what you expect to read.  For example, there are often little things in them to trip you up like double negatives.  Another tip is to look for questions that include words like 'always' and 'never' as these are often false.  Each question usually has the same amount of marks so it is important to do the whole paper. As with most things, the only way to get good at MCQs is to practise them and PasTest Online for Dentistry, and all our Dental books will provide you with an opportunity to do that.  Dentistry 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/mcqs-in-dentistry-revision-60/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/gpst-stage-2-book-reviews-59/ GP ST: Stage 2 Practice Questions Third Edition This fantastic book is the perfect companion for the GPST Stage 2 assessment in 2010.  Now in its third edition the title has been recently updated with current guidelines - great for 'hot topic' questions, and covers both papers.  Subject-based chapters make revising for the Paper 1 clinical problem solving questions extremely easy, whilst chapters dedicated to Paper 2's situational judgement questions make coping with these often tricky questions no problem at all!    This excellent text comprehensively covers the areas examined in the Stage 2 assessment including a useful chapter on professional dilemma questions. Essential reading for anyone applying for General Practice training.Dr Natalie Stone, GP Registrar, Manchester This book gives a clear picture of the breadth of topics which are covered in the GP ST2 examination. Concise answer notes facilitate revision, and references are provided to encourage efficient and effective further reading.Dr Kurt Wilson, General Practitioner and Teaching Fellow in Community-Based Medical Education, Manchester GPST 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/gpst-stage-2-book-reviews-59/ http://blog.pastest.co.uk/gpst-stage-2-answers-58/ A couple of weeks ago we posted the GPST Stage 2 questions.  Here are the answers...     Paper One Questions 1.         B          Mobitz Type I second-degree heart block 2.         E          There is a significant risk of secondary malignancy in the survivors 3.         C          The disease is X-linked 4.         A          Addison disease 5.         C          Cushing syndrome 6.         B          Conn syndrome 7.         G          Phaeochromocytoma 8.         B          Continue the PPI and review in 2 weeks 9.         C          Subarachnoid haemorrhage 10.       B          All of A and meningitis (types A and C) also 11.       E          Hepatitis A and B, typhoid, polio, diphtheria and rabies vaccines 12.       H   Typhoid and polio vaccines only 13.       F          No precautions required 14.       C          The first test should be a blood glucose 15.       D         Nickel dermatitis 16.       E          Aspirin should be started 17.       C          A raised PaCO2 is indicative of near-fatal asthma 18.       E          Electrical cardioversion is immediately indicated 19.        E         Phimosis 20.       D         Hyposplenism 21.       E         Increase in total lung capacity 22.        C        Isoniazid, Rifampicin ethambutol, pyrazinamide for 2 months and Isoniazid, Rifampicin  for a further 4 months  23.        E        Trial of bronchodilators 24.        A         Amlodipine 25.        E        Lisinopril 26.        B         Atenolol 27.        F         Losartan 28.        G         Methyl dopa 29.       C          Acute left ventricular failure 30.       E          Reduced FEV1/FVC ratio and normal or increased gas transfer 31.        B         cCa 2.36, PO4 0.95, ALP 165 32.       C          Anterior NSTEMI 34.        E          Acanthosis nigricans 35.       B           Necrobiosis lipoidica 36.       C           Pyoderma gangrenosum 37.       E          Graves disease 38.       C          Due to acquired iron deficiency   Paper Two Questions   39.       D C B A 40.       A B D 41.       B D A C 42.       C A B D     43.       B D A C   GPST 2010-03-14T00:10:12+0000 http://blog.pastest.co.uk/gpst-stage-2-answers-58/