2018
RCSI FELLOWSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP
RCSI MEMBERSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP .................................................................... 3 MRCS EXAM STRUCTURE ......................................................................................... 4 MRCS EXAM VENUES ................................................................................................. 6 NEW CENTRES IN INDIA, MRCS PART A EXAM DATES 2017/2018 .................................................................... 7 MALAYSIA & MALTA
MRCS PART B (OSCE) EXAM DATES 2017/2018 ...................................................... 8 MRCS PART B (OSCE) PREPARATION COURSE ..................................................... 9 MRCS ENT - DOHNS EXAM ........................................................................................ 10 FRCS EXAM ................................................................................................................. 12 CONTACT INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 13
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The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is one of Ireland’s longest established and most respected academic institutions. For more than two centuries, the College has provided education and training of the highest calibre to students and healthcare professionals from Ireland and more than 78 other countries. The opportunity to become a Fellow or Member of RCSI is a privilege that is only earned through hard work and an absolute dedication to excellence. The hard work and dedication doesn’t stop the day a surgeon qualifies. In fact, qualifying as a surgeon is the start of a lifelong journey of learning and professional development. Professor John Hyland President, RCSI
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (MRCSI) is awarded on
RCSI FELLOWSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP
Dear Colleague,
successful completion of the Intercollegiate MRCS examination. Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FRCSI) is normally awarded on successful completion of the Intercollegiate FRCS examination. The MRCSI and FRCSI are prestigious internationally recognised quality standards. Holding one of these qualifications demonstrates to colleagues, peers, and employers a doctor’s knowledge and clinical skills and commitment to his or her practice. Fellows and Members of the College receive preferential access to College events, facilities, and resources; complimentary surgical journals and other publications; and a suite of other professional and personal benefits.
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MRCS EXAM STRUCTURE
RCSI has offered the intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) since 2002. As many aspects of the different surgical specialties require the same core areas of applied basic knowledge and skills, a central aim of the MRCS exam is to assess trainee surgeons in the breadth of both basic sciences and the principles of surgery. This examination is an intercollegiate one. Hence, the examination syllabus, format and content are common to all surgical Royal Colleges in the UK and Ireland. The MRCS is fully recognised by both the Irish Medical Council and the
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General Medical Council (UK). Surgical trainees in Ireland are required to successfully pass all stages of the examination before being awarded a Certificate of Completion of Core Surgical Training. Doctors from outside the EU can apply for registration to practice in Ireland if they are MRCS holders. The MRCS is structured in two parts: MRCS Part A and MRCS Part B. Candidates must pass Part A before applying to sit Part B. For more details about the MRCS exam regulations, please visit www.intercollegiatemrcsexams.org. uk
NEW STRUCTURE FROM 2017
From 1st January 2017 the Part A will be a five hour MCQ examination consisting of a three-hour paper (Paper 1) followed by a two -hour paper (Paper 2), still taken on the same day. The papers cover generic surgical sciences and applied knowledge, including the core knowledge required in all surgical specialties as follows: Paper 1. Applied Basic Sciences paper,
MRCS PART B
pathology, applied surgical science and critical care Applied Skills - consisting of communication skills in giving
and receiving information, history taking and clinical & procedural skills
In addition, the candidate’s knowledge, skills, competencies and professional characteristics are assessed across the OSCE stations as follows: 1. Clinical knowledge and its application;
Paper 2. Principles of Surgery-in-General.
2. Clinical and technical skill;
120 questions comprising a combination of Extended Matching and Single Best Answer Questions. Candidates may attempt to pass Part A of the MRCS examination six times.
The OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) consists of 18 examined stations, each of nine minutes’ duration. These stations examine the following broad content areas: Applied Knowledge - consisting of anatomy, surgical
consisting of 180 Single Best Answer Questions.
MRCS EXAM STRUCTURE
MRCS PART A
3. Communication; 4. Professionalism.
Candidates may attempt to pass Part B of the MRCS examination four times. 5
MRCS EXAM VENUES
MALTA LUCKNOW KOCHI
NEW CENTRES
CHENNAI KOTA KINABALU
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NRCS PART A 2018
The MRCS Part A is held three times per year in January, April, and September. RCSI offers this exam in Dublin, Belfast, Dammam, Amman, Bahrain, Penang, and Perdana. All candidates sitting MRCS Part A with RCSI between May 2017 and May 2018 will receive an RCSI 20% discount code to be used when purchasing Elsevier textbooks at https://www.uk.elsevierhealth.com
In addition to these centres, RCSI has recently opened five new MRCS Part A centres: one in Malaysia, in Kota Kinabalu; three in India, in Chennai, Lucknow, and Kochi; and one in Malta. You can apply for the MRCS Part A at postgradexams.rcsi.ie Exam MRCS Part A
All candidates sitting MRCS Part A with RCSI in 2018 will receive a personal 25% discount code to be used when buying a PasTest online subscription for MRCS Part A. This provides access to over 4,300 practice questions, helpful media resources and a free mobile app.
Dublin, Belfast, Dammam, Amman, Bahrain, Penang, Perdana, Kota Kinabalu, Chennai, Lucknow, Kochi, and Malta
Date of Exam
Closing date
9 January 2018 27 October 2017
17 April 2018
11 September 2018
Fee â‚Ź595 in Dublin and Belfast
â‚Ź625 in Dammam, Amman, Bahrain, 9 February 2018 Penang, Perdana, Kota Kinabalu, Chennai, Lucknow, Kochi, and 29 June 2018 Malta
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MRCS PART B (OSCE) 2017-2018
Exam
The MRCS Part B (OSCE) is held three times per year in February, May, and October in Dublin. Additionally, RCSI holds the exam in Bahrain, and Penang (Malaysia) on different dates each year. You can apply for the MRCS Part B (OSCE) at postgradexams.rcsi.ie 8
Date of Exam
Closing date
Fee
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Dublin
8-9 February 2018
24 November 2017
€1,095
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Dublin
10-11 May 2018
23 February 2018
€1,095
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Dublin
10-12 October 2018
20 July 2018
€1,095
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Bahrain
10-12 November 2017
10 September 2017
€1,150
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Bahrain
9-10 March 2018
7 January 2018
€1,150
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Bahrain
9-10 November 2018
9 September 2018
€1,150
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Penang
20-21 January 2018
19 November 2017
€1,150
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Penang
18-19 August 2018
17 June 2018
€1,150
MRCS PART B (OSCE) PREPARATION
RCSI offers the following resources to prepare for the MRCS Part B (OSCE):
RESOURCES
TEXTBOOKS
MRCS PART B (OSCE) PREPARATION COURSE
All candidates sitting MRCS Part B with RCSI in 2017 & 2018 will receive 25% discount on the PasTest resources to prepare for the examination. For more information please contact us at pgexams@rcsi.ie
All candidates sitting MRCS Part B with RCSI between May 2017 and May 2018 will receive an RCSI exclusive code that will grant them a 20% discount when purchasing Elsevier textbooks at https://www.uk.elsevierhealth.com. For more information please contact us at pgexams@rcsi.ie
RCSI holds a tailored course to prepare for the examination three times a year in Ireland and annually in Bahrain and Penang (Malaysia). For more information, please see pages 10-11 of this guide.
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MRCS PART B (OSCE) PREPARATION COURSE
MRCS PART B (OSCE) PREPARATION COURSE Due to the limited number of attempts for MRCS Part B it is crucial that candidates sit the exam only after undertaking intense preparation. To that end, RCSI offers an intensive course designed to prepare surgical trainees for this exam. The MRCS Part B (OSCE) Prep course is a two-day course led by Prof Peter Gillen, Consultant Surgeon, Dean of Undergraduate Studies in RCSI, and MRCS Examiner. Experienced MRCS Examiners from Ireland support Prof Gillen in the delivery of this course. The course covers the core content of the exam and is designed to assist the candidates in their exam 10
preparation and to improve their examination technique. The course has mock OSCEs, interactive workshops, and group discussions in the areas of:
Applied Surgery
Critical Care
Clinical / Procedural Skills
Anatomy
Surgical Pathology
Communications
Candidates attending the course have a 78% pass rate on the examination. This is significantly higher than the pass rate of the candidates not attending the course.
“Excellent course” “The anatomy demonstrations were excellent” “Incredibly helpful”
Early applications are advised for all the venues as this is a highly sought-after course and places are very limited.
MRCS PART B (OSCE) PREPARATION COURSE
The MRCS Part B (OSCE) Exam preparation course is held three times a year in Ireland and annually in Bahrain and Penang (Malaysia) approximately one month before the exam.
Interested candidates can apply now at postgradexams.rcsi.ie If places are not available for your desired date, contact us at pgexams@rcsi.ie to be included in the waiting list. Please note that closing dates are indicative as courses will close automatically when full.
Course
Location
Dates of Course
Closing date
Fee
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Preparation Course
RCSI Dublin
7-8 September 2017
9 July 2017
€595
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Preparation Course
RCSI Bahrain
15-16 September 2017
23 July 2017
€595
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Preparation Course
Penang Medical College (Malaysia)
25-26 November 2017
1 October 2017
€595
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Preparation Course
RCSI Dublin
4-5 January 2018
26 November 2017
€595
MRCS Part B (OSCE) Preparation Course
RCSI Dublin
5-6 April 2018
25 February 2018
€595 11
MRCS (ENT) - DOHNS
The purpose of the Diploma of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (DOHNS) is to test the breadth of knowledge, the clinical and communication skills, and the professional attributes considered appropriate by the College for a doctor intending to undertake practice within an Otolaryngology department in a non-consultant career grade or trainee position. It is also intended to assess those who wish to practise within another medical specialty, but who have an interest in how that specialty interacts with the field of otolaryngology. The DOHNS is an intercollegiate exam structured in two Parts: 12
DOHNS Part 1 and DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE). DOHNS Part 1 is a written exam which assesses candidates’ knowledge of surgery and applied basic sciences in a multi-choice format. DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) consists of up to 28 Active Stations. This includes approximately five stations designed to assess clinical skills, clinical examination, clinical history-taking and communication skills. There are a further approximately 23 stations where candidates are presented with questions to be answered on a written question/answer sheet. Candidates who successfully
complete both parts of the examination will be awarded a Diploma of Membership in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Alternatively, candidates may wish to undertake the MRCS Part A examination and then take the DOHNS Part 2 OSCE. If successful, such candidates will receive the award of MRCS (ENT). For further details on the exam syllabus and regulations please check http:// www.intercollegiatemrcs.org.uk/ dohns
Date of Exam
Closing date
Fee
DOHNS Part 1 RCSI, Dublin
8 January 2018
3 November 2017
€550
DOHNS Part 1 RCSI, Dublin
16 April 2018
2 February 2018
€550
DOHNS Part 1 RCSI, Dublin
3 September 2018
22 June 2018
€550
DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) RCSI, Dublin
20-22 February 2018
15 December 2017
€1,095
DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) RCS, Edinburgh
30 May - 1 June 2018
9 March 2018
€1,095
DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) RCS, England
23-25 October 2018
3 August 2018
€1,095
DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) for award of MRCS ENT RCSI, Dublin
20-22 February 2018
15 December 2017
€1,095
9 March 2018
€1,095
3 August 2018
€1,095
DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) for award of MRCS ENT RCS, Edinburgh 30 May - 1 June 2018 DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) for award of MRCS ENT RCS, London
23-25 October 2018
MRCS (ENT) - DOHNS
Exam
You can apply for the DOHNS Part 1 and Part 2 (OSCE) at postgradexams.rcsi.ie 13
FRCS
The Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) is an intercollegiate exam usually taken by specialist trainees in their fourth year of higher training. The exam is a requirement for Specialist Registration with the Irish Medical Council and General Medical Council. The FRCS is structured in two sections: Section 1 is a written test and Section 2 is the clinical component. The structure for both sections varies among the different surgical specialties. Surgeons who wish to pursue this internationally recognised quality standard currently have two available routes: through the Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations (JCIE) or through the Joint Surgical Colleges Fellowship Examination (JSCFE). 14
JCIE offers both sections of the FRCS exam
annually in rotating locations in the UK and Ireland. For further information about dates, syllabus, and applications please visit www.jcie.org.uk JSCFE offers the Intercollegiate Fellowship Examinations for the international surgical community. This examination has parity of standard with the one offered by JCIE and it has therefore the same international reputation and value. It is aimed at those in the international community who are about to, or who have recently completed their training. JSCFE holds Section 1 simultaneously in Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, and the UAE. Section 2 is held in rotating international locations. For further information about dates, syllabus, and applications please visit www.jscfe.co.uk
The dates on this guide are subject to both change and cancellation - RCSI cannot be held liable for any loss incurred by candidates due to necessary timetable changes. To review the examination regulations and eligibility criteria visit www.rcsi.ie/ professional_exams
CONTACT INFORMATION
The holding of each exam will be contingent on viable candidate numbers.
Candidates are advised to make arrangements for visas (if appropriate) before closing date for entry to examination. RCSI cannot become involved during any stage of a visa application. If candidates require any assistance with their travel arrangements to attend any of the examinations, they can contact RCSI Travel at travel@rcsi.ie
Applications should arrive no later than closing date stated.
Please note that Diploma or conferring fees may apply for particular exams - this information is available upon request.
Candidates are advised to make early applications as receipt of application before the last date of entry does not guarantee a place on the examination.
For any queries, email the Postgraduate Exams Office at pgexams@rcsi.ie or phone 00 353 (0)1 402 2222. 15