I decided to invest in Emedica and Passmedicine, then vigorously work my way through them both. I spent at least 3 hours each night doing questions and making an effort to read through the explanations thoroughly, browsing through key NICE guidelines and combining the new information learnt with my previous notes. This is fine if you’re the kind of person who completes multiple question banks, multiple times before an exam. It doesn’t matter if the questions you answer aren’t targeted because by doing thousands and thousands of questions, you’ll eventually cover your knowledge gaps anyway. RCPCHnowrunarevisioncourseforthisexam–itwasa2daycoursewhenIwent,butIbelieveit’snowaonedaycoursewithonlineresourcesavailable.Itwasareallygoodcourse,butexpensive–Ithinkpartoftherationaleinreducingittoonedaywastoalsoreducethecost.Probablynotworthitforthefirstattempt,butifyou’vehadacoupleofattemptsandyou’restrugglingwithTAS,Iwouldhighlyrecommendit.Imanagedtogetminecoveredinmystudyleavebudget.It’srunbythepersonthatactuallyruns/coordinatestheTASexam. The Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA – also known as SRA) is a computer-based assessment and forms part of application for UK postgraduate training in the following specialities:

Stay calm: I vividly remember seeing fellow candidates in the queue at the exam centre busy cramming with their paper/electronic notes and telling me that they’d only slept for 2-3 hours the night before. Unsurprisingly, these were the candidates who struggled to complete the exam (you need to remain focused for 3 hours!) and score as well. Calmness is truly key! Avoid last-minute studying if you can. There is no negative marking; marks can still be rewarded for answers that are not entirely correct but unanswered questions will be given no marks. Although the scenarios are relevant to foundation level clinical practice (FY2), it does not aim to simply assess your recall of knowledge, but focuses on your ability to synthesise and apply your medical knowledge appropriately. Format of the Clinical Problem Solving Paper An erythematous facial rash (one or both cheeks) is a key defining feature, but usually other prodromal features are common e.g. low-grade fever, myalgia, nausea, runny nose It does not test knowledge or problem-solving. Instead, the content relates to the GMC’s Generic Professional Capabilities framework and tests attributes that are important for doctors’ training progression and job performance. The three main competencies tested are professional integrity, coping with pressure and empathy and sensitivity. 1 Knowledge of specialty training is not needed but a general understanding of primary and secondary care work is expected. Questions are set in the context of the UK Foundation Programme; candidates assume the role of F2 doctors. However, to make certain the fairness of the MSRA for all candidates including International Medical Graduates, questions do not entail any knowledge of policies or procedures that are specific to the UK. 1

Multiple choice questions – These will ask you to choose the three most appropriate actions related to the situation from a list of eight – the combination of these three actions should help resolve the situation in the question. The very focused way of studying made it possible for me to feel like I was making progress and gain some confidence which was definitely needed and also to study in the little time I had available. Anyone with other commitments, especially small children will know how hard it is to study (at all or to combine this with feeling like a good enough parent) and I found keeping to a set structure the best way to do this over the summer holidays: My mum to whom I am eternally grateful, would look after the children after lunchtime for an hour or a little longer on a good day and I would furiously work my way through another section. If I had the energy in the evenings once the children were asleep I would do a further hour. I found it crucial to have my revision mapped out for the next few days ahead of time so that I could just sit down and work rather than waste time “planning”. Management (non-Prescribing)– Advising, authorising or reviewing a patient’s clinical management plan – specifically the use of non drug-related treatment.

Our super smart question bank adapts to YOU, providing all the benefits of personalised learning at a fraction of the cost of a course. We’re really excited about it (I’m sure you can tell!) and probably a bit biased, but we think it’s the best way to prepare for the MSRA in 2024! MSRA TipsC is the best option as you are speaking directly with the registrar, and not undermining them in front of the patient or team. The question states that the ward round was busy so waiting until the end may be more appropriate, especially as the operation is still in 2 days’ time. GMC Good Medical Practice states that you should make sure ‘arrangements are made, wherever possible, to meet patient’s language and communication needs’ and be satisfied that consent is taken before providing treatment. As the nurse is reluctant to speak it is important to ensure the concerns do not go unnoticed, especially since you are aware his daughter usually translates. I spent the time period awaiting the results shadowing in two CAMHS units to help me make my decision (although given the exam I wasn’t expecting to be starting work before next August) and fortuitously found “my niche” in medicine which only made me more worried about my exam results. The CAMHS posts available then also got cut down from 6 to only 1. PACESStation3neurologypatientsareoftenthosewithstablechronicsignsasaresultofsurgeryortrauma.Neurosurgerywardsareareallyuseful(andfromwhatI'venoticed,underutilised)sourceforfindingthesesortofpatients.Renalwardsarealsoagoodsourceofinterestingpatients,oftenwithmultiplepathologies.Somedoctorsalsomanagetogotocardiacvalve,rheumatology,orophthalmologyclinicsbutIdidn'tdothis.

Iwasfortunatetobeworkinginalargetertiarycentrewithrenal,neuro,cardiothoracicsetcandIwouldsayoneofthemostimportantthingsforthisexamisensuringyouhaveastudypartnerandastudygrouponWhatsapp(orsimilar).Withyourstudypartner,goroundthewards(particularlyspecialties),seepatientsandgetintothehabitofpresentingformallyandbeingviva'd-undertimedconditions.PracticeStation5scenariosoneachotheroverandoveragain-youonlyhaveeightminutessoreallifepatientsaren'talwaysthebestforStation5.StartyourStation5examinationwhileyou'retakingthehistory.ShareinterestingpatientsontheWhatsappgroup(obviousdisclaimeraboutnotbreakingconfidentialityetc).PracticeStation2and4scenarioswithanywillingperson-medicalornon-medical.Practisingpresentationuntilyousoundproperlyconfidentisreallyimportant. As well as exploring the exam topics, incorporating practice questions is essential for your MSRA preparations. This allows you to become familiar with the different types of questions and scenarios you’ll encounter during the exam, and provides opportunities to practise applying your knowledge and problem solving skills, which are important elements that will be assessed within the MSRA exam.

Can I resit the MSRA?

Iwentthroughalloftheonexaminationquestionbank,goingovermyweakerareastwice.IwouldreadachapterfromKalra,thendoquestionsonthatspecialtyfromonexamination.OnceIreadthebookandfinishedallthequestionsononexamination,ImovedontodoingquestionsonPassmedicineandfromvariousMCQbooks.IagreewithDemocracythatPassmedicinewastheharderquestionbank,henceitfeltappropriatetouseitafterIbuiltupsomeknowledgeviatextbooksandquestions. As well as focusing on high-quality content, much work is put into producing innovative features such as customized revision study notes and an updated continuous histogram to compare your achievement to other applicants. On my General Practice rotation, I tried to dedicate each spare moment that I could, to doing questions. I would utilise anything from my lunch breaks, spare time while waiting to debrief with my supervisor, during slots in which patients DNA’d etc. and soon those 10-15 spare minutes started adding up. Unsurprisingly, I initially wasn’t scoring so well, especially on topics such as Infectious Disease, Dermatology and Ophthalmology. However, after repeating the question sets in my weaker areas on Emedica, my scores soon started improving to 85% minimum. The information I learnt was also invaluable for my GP rotation where I was commonly seeing skin/eye/ear complaints; my supervisors noted that my general confidence in diagnosing and managing these was vastly improving. Managing to practice the information learnt on Emedica daily was the most useful way to ensure that the guidelines remained clear in my mind ready for the exam e.g. acne management, hypertension guidelines, type 2 diabetes control etc. Although not strictly related to revision, it’s always worth remembering that neither paper in the MSRA exam is negatively marked, so it’s worth attempting to answer all questions as it may just get you an extra few marks on the exam. The more practice questions you do, the more chance you have of scoring a higher score, it’s that simple.

Passmedicine provides an online revision for the MRCP Part 1, MRCGP Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), GP ST Stage 2 – Specialty Recruitment Assessment, Medical student finals, MRCP Part 2, Situational Judgement Test, PLAB, DRCOG. Revision questions in the modern form to help you pass. Over 2,500 Single Best Answer and Extended Matching Questions for the Clinical Problem Solving paper Half of the questions in the PD paper are ranking questions and half are multiple-choice questions. Typically, the answer options are actions that can be taken in response to the circumstances in the scenario. Good, acceptable, and poor actions are included as options, as is the best action. Unrealistic actions are not included.The Clinical Problem Solving Paper includes 12 different clinical topic areas (below). The domains all focus around one of the following: investigations, diagnosis, emergencies, prescribing or management. Particular specialties which are often dominant are Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Clinical Problem Solving Topics: Until now, the only way to access personalised learning for exams like the MSRA was to pay for expensive courses. These don’t represent value for money for most candidates who instead use question banks to prepare for their exam. The Professional Dilemmas Paper is a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) designed to assess your response to situations involving challenging professional dilemmas.