MRCP PACES: How to pass in single attempt! My Precious Tips
If you are reading this post, either you’re an MRCP PACES candidate or soon you’re going to be one.
Some seriously useful and practical tips helped me get through this exam successfully in a single attempt. Since these tips have helped me, so I thought must share these with you as well.
Chances of success increase if you work hard in the right way/direction. Hard work is your part & this post will guide you in the right direction. And who knows that all you may need is this post to get you through the exam!
Please don’t be intimidated by the length of this post. You do not need to do all these steps in a single day. Take a deep breath, relax, open your mind and enjoy reading through it. The devil lies in the details so please do not skip.
1. Orient Yourself
A very basic but essential step in every exam is to get to know about the exam you are taking. This is because you want to determine what is that which is expected from you. This will help you to do focused efforts.
To do this, take out some time, & visit MRCP(UK) website for the above-mentioned purpose.
You may also want to get orientation from a colleague who has just appeared in the exam. It will give you a fair idea of how to approach and how much time you need for preparation.
Here is a head start tip!
MRCP PACES is a clinical exam and here you need to practice more than study.
There are 5 stations. Each station is 20 minutes duration. Three of them are clinical examination stations and each has two substations in them. The rest of the two are static interactive stations. One of them tests Ethics and communication skills & the other is History-taking skills.
2. Make a Timetable
After orienting yourself, make a timetable.
Time table is a must and no one else can do it for you. Here is the thing! Given your circumstances (clinical duties, rotations, family plans, and other obligations), only you know how much time you need for the preparation.
The timetable you make shall be specific to goals & practical. Given the conditions in which you will prepare, see if the targets you set are achievable and that you will not get exhausted.
The timetable to be flexible. Make room for breaks as much as you would need. After all, it’s an exam and not a war. Enjoy the preparation and do not make it a burden on you.
3. Select Books
Many books are available in the market which is specifically written for this exam. You can get a fair idea from your colleagues about the pros and cons of different books.
As a rule of thumb, choose the one you are most comfortable with. No need to rush, take your time to choose an appropriate book, and then stick to that one. Your life will be easy!
Textbooks as a primary resource are not needed for the preparation of PACES. However, you may need to consult a textbook at times to refresh certain topics/concepts. There is no need to get a new/fancy copy but just pick your Medicine textbook that you have read as an undergraduate. And of course, the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine becomes a handy lifesaver, when you need to quickly go through the topic while practicing clinical skills in the clinic/ward.
4. Choose a Study Partner
Is there someone near you who is appearing in this exam? Great, if there is one. You can become study partners. You can then do discussions, share knowledge, and divide topics among you for preparation. This way you will save a lot of time.
Study partners will also be helpful during the practice of clinical methods in which one will become a candidate and the other becomes the examiner. Keep on switching roles so that each one gets a fair chance to practice and get assessed.
In case there is no study partner, don’t worry! You still have good chances of passing. Find a senior who can observe and assess while you perform clinical methods and gives useful feedback.
5. Join Online Study Groups
Search for online groups made for MRCP PACES preparation and join them e.g., Facebook groups. 🙂
It is an especially useful resource for those who couldn’t find a study partner. Interestingly enough, through these groups, you may also find a study partner located near you.
I feel these groups are very useful because you can post the issues you are facing. You get quick responses & some pretty useful advice. On top of that, it sometimes helps to relieve exam stress after watching and realizing that you are not the only poor soul struggling with preparation (LOL).
However, like everything else, it also has a downside. Be aware not to completely depend on the information shared in these social groups. Also, avoid spending too much time in these groups and do not make them a primary resource for preparation.
6. Prepare some of these LISTS
It is a good idea to make or get a checklist of steps of clinical examination of each station. These will be handy to recall steps before you practice, be that a physical examination or communication skills station. It is also advisable to get back to these lists to reflect if you were methodical and did not miss anything.
You also need to make three more lists.
One is a list of your perceived weak areas.
Second list the steps that you frequently miss during a specific station’s practice, and that you want to practice further.
The third is the list of diseases you want to study to refresh after you get back home.
Tip: Keep a small notebook with you all the time to note to-do things in the lists mentioned. You can use mobile apps as well for this purpose.
7. Watch relevant Videos
Learning a skill is swifter if you see someone doing it.
There are a few orientation videos about this particular exam by MRCP(UK) on their website. Watch these because they will give you a real feel of the exam. You will also get the secondary benefit of seeing the steps of how candidates are called into the examination hall, how they are given the scenarios, how they do the clinical examination or interview the patient (according to the given case), and how examiners interact and ask the questions.
Other than these, search for more online videos. The more you watch, especially the interactive station videos, the more you will become wiser about your approach during exams.
8. Establish your Day, Evening, Night Roles
You can distribute different times of your day for different parts of the preparatory process.
As an example, this is what I did during my preparation. I kept day time for practicing physical examination skills on patients, evening time for practicing static interactive stations with my friend (volunteer), and kept night time (before sleeping) for reviewing the lists I prepared, reflecting on my performance, and studying listed topics.
You do not need to follow all roles every day.
Have a cheat time and even a cheat day! Keep it simple and flexible. 🙂
9. Interactive Skills: How & how much to practice?
Here are 2 advice about the two interactive stations of this exam.
1. Do not practice both interactive stations every day.
You can keep ethics & communication skills on one day and history-taking skills on the other day. Or whatever suits you better. The idea is to practice each on separate days.
2. How much to practice?
You will become more confident the more you practice with different scenarios. Keep on practicing till you know you will be able to do smoothly during the exam.
10. Practice Presentation: Talk to yourself in the mirror and record yourself!
This point is valid for candidates who are not native English speakers.
What if I say that you have practiced everything, have got a good grip on theory, but still you can fall into an unseen abyss?
This is the part when you interact with the examiner after you’re done with the patient. All efforts can potentially go to waste if you’re unable to express your findings with them in an effective and organized matter. This issue may lead you into a downward spiral of not performing well in the current station and subsequent stations. So master this part beforehand and don’t leave this important part to the chance.
How you can make your narration effective and flawless?
Tip: You may write the narration of findings & speak the same to yourself in the mirror. Narrate your findings by looking into your own eyes. You will be surprised to realize how this part was so much important for you to practice.
You shall also record yourself (video/audio) on your mobile and reflect.
Practice till you feel you are confident!
11. What's done is done. Move on!
This tip is for exam day!
Your performance in each station is assessed separately during the exam. Examiners of one station will not be repeated in the next station. So, if you have not performed well in one station (according to your perception), just forget about it. Otherwise, it will affect your performance in the next leftover stations.
I am advising this because sometimes, candidates have performed well and are passed by the examiners in a station. However, the candidate perceives that he/she didn’t perform well and may have failed there. This thought process negatively affects the performance in the next stations. And imagine those regrets, when in the result he/she finds to have passed in that one particular station while having failed in subsequent stations.
My Tip: Imagine getting a new life (like in video games) in each station (video game level). Don’t waste it by thinking about your previous life (station). (LOL)
12. Key to Success: Perseverance
This is a motivation for you and a take-home message.
If you feel under-confident in the beginning, it is natural. Just start doing it. With practice, patience and time, every piece starts falling into its place and you will become confident. Surely you will, only if you persist.
If you feel depressed from the level of preparation others are having. This is also natural. Maybe others had started preparation earlier than you. You will get to the same level if you keep preparing. Stay consistent and focused.
If you feel tired and your motivation level drops, it’s time to take a break.
Spend time and enjoy yourself with your family and friends. Go for outings, hiking, games, or whatever it is you enjoy doing.
Do not think about study and exams for a day or so. This will energize you and your performance will increase when you restart.
The point which I want to emphasize is that you will go through some frustrating times during your journey. Do not be affected by these feelings as these are natural and everyone experiences them at different times through their journey. It is good to know about these moments so that whenever you experience them, you will be to handle them efficiently.
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An excellent discussion
Dr Ahmed Al Montasir, Thank you for your appreciation!
Thank you
You’re welcome. Those colleagues who have some useful experience or tips to share, please send in comments or email, I will update my post to include those tips as well.