Asma's advice

She has not worked in the UK and felt that it be helpful to give a view on preparing for the "overseas" candidate.

If there is any additional advice you would like from Asma, let me know and I'll pass it on.

After passing the MRCOG Part 2 exam in November 2010, I received a number of calls and e-mails from candidates preparing for the upcoming exam asking for advice.

I hope this will help you too, with some modifications according to your individual needs.

I know many candidates who have been trying to get through this exam for several years.

Also, we are often already carrying a lot of other responsibilities like challenging jobs, family, children and adding to it is the study.

The MRCOG is a clinical exam, but, regardless of your clinical experience it needs a number of specific techniques to prepare and get through it.

The syllabus is so extensive that preparation and revision seem to be almost impossible.

With good organisation, you will be able not only to cover all of it, but to revise it too.

You should have a good three to six months period in hand for a thorough preparation, depending whether it is your first attempt or a re-sit.

But with a proper plan and after a critical assessment of what was lacking last time.

I would recommend you to spend a couple of days devising a plan before proceeding to the actual preparation.

You need to make a full list of all the major groups covered in O&G and related fields such as genetics, paediatrics and STDs.

You need to look up some topics which are not available on these elsewhere like in a text book, CEMACE and the web.

a) I would suggest that before you start reading a particular topic, write down all that you already know about it on a scrap paper.

Try to follow a set pattern of covering every topic, e.g. definition, prevalence, aetiology, pre-pregnancy, antenatal, labour, postpartum.

If you have a GTG, still you need to revise some basic stuff about each topic from either a text book or an article from TOG or OGRM.

I personally didn’t find a need to go through the text books if there was an article available in either of these journals.

After reading it all from the available stuff, note down the points missed in the pre reading notes.

Basically all you would need now is to focus on the points you had missed as you already know the rest.

When we start reading any article we still tend to repeatedly focus on what we already know.

And by the time the points not yet registered well in our memories arrive, we are already exhausted.

But if you extract the points you already know, now you just need to focus on what is new for you.

I covered every topic only in bullet points, but under the specific pattern of headings as mentioned above.

The important thing is to decide on the system that suits you and use it from the start.

And this time concentrate on what are the buzz words and managerial issues in that topic.

I think this part is the most important one for non UK candidates as this is what we do not do in practice.

And when you do it like this with each topic, by the end you are not left with any confusion what is needful and where.

When you make your notes highlight the points which you missed initially so when you revise, your focus is on what you tend to miss.

Trust me, you will be able to revise at least twice in the last two weeks if you follow this.

I.e. quickly put up somewhere that you already and this time it would be certainly more than the initial one.

I have found that studying in compartments is beneficial because all you need to do is to follow the entire group under a basic format.

By doing so, when you have done all the disorders, you’d be able to clearly spot the differences in the history, examination, investigation and management among them.

And never forget the buzz words and managerial issues in each and every topic that you do.

It will be very helpful to follow the above mentioned plan of study because answering EMQs needs a very clear concept of the things and an in-depth knowledge.

There are lots of books published by college which can help in time management and practice.

So while reading the NICE guidelines, do concentrate on different scenarios and how they should be managed according to the guidelines.

Overseas candidates need to concentrate on the antenatal, intrapartum and post partum NICE guidelines.

For MCQs read past paper book of mcqs published by college and all the mcqs from TOG and OGRM.

In my opinion it would be perfectly fine if you don't not waste money, time and energy on any more mcq books as most of them are oudated.

Also, I have never seen or heard of anything coming in the exam from these books.

And I strongly recommend you to do this because it gives an insight to the overseas candidates how the British think.

I am sure while composing all this Dr McFarlane was not aware of this and he didn’t plan it.

But at least I found my way of thinking changed grossly after reading the answers of those MCQs.

It helps you to enjoy what you read and to think a bit more rationally on a topic than just trying to memorize what is written.

Because no matter how many courses you attend, no one gives you a continuing teaching and so much focused.

My pattern of study and approach towards this exam was entirely changed after listening to Dr McFarlane.

This is much more important for the non-UK candidates because it really gives you an insight to the UK system.

The OSCE is totally different to the written but you need a thorough knowledge and good techniques.

Dr Tom and Elaine Church have provided detailed advice and I don't think I could add more to that, except a few thoughts of mine.

Without basic facts you cannot proceed on any station, but you don’t need more than basic facts for it.

The trick I followed was to let the role player lead me through the marking scheme.

On viva stations, if you have done your theory in a systematic way, then you would automatically proceed smoothly. That’s why I said in the beginning that well begun is half done.

The articles in OGRM and the MCQs on website are of great help. The best way for learning the communication skills and the risk management is to attend regularly the tutorials.

Practice is all that you need and again Dr McFarlane is the best guide for communication skills and clinical risk management.

The college has now provided a new centre in AbuDhabi which is an excellent opportunity for the candidates in middle east and far east.

There is a false concept that any centre other than London has a poor pass rate.

This is true in the sense that there are no UK candidates there, so automatically the pass rate is less.

Even the examination hall is prepared in the same way with screens in a big hall like the college.

This is a nerve-tearing exam.

A lot of us have upsets while going through this:

        time pressure due to family commitments,

        financial issues with repeated attempts

        or psychological setback and feelings of being incapable of getting through it.

Passing this exam is no joke, it could never be passed just by luck or by chance.

It really needs sheer hard work.

So please, please, before embarking on this difficult journey, understand the the exam fully.

Understand what should be the aim of your study.

Understand that the college does not want 'your' clinical practice, it is the practice in UK that is important.

So you should be thinking that way all through your study.

You certainly have to make a lot of sacrifices in terms of family life, financial and even departing from your family for some period of time.

It is very painful if after all of this one cannot get through.

So, do it once and do it for all.

Quantity is of study is not important, its the quality that maters.

This is why I emphasise proper planning for your studies.

I wish you all best of luck.

If there's anything else which is not clear, please do not hesitate to write to Dr Tom about it and I would try to include that in this article.

Go to the list of contents

Go to the top of the page