MRCS PART A PASS- FIRST ATTEMPT FROM INDIA
Hey Guys! My name is Ashwin, it's my first time writing for the blog. I wrote MRCS Part A in 2022 while doing my MS Ortho In Gujarat during my final year. I did MBBS with Reetu and Vaanathi (we were all batchmates) and graduated in 2018. Then, I started MS Ortho in 2019 after taking the NEET PG Exams. As I intended to move to the UK after MS, I knew it would be more beneficial to clear my exams during my PG so I could start MRCS part 2 Prep and apply for a job as quickly as possible. Yes, it was difficult, anyone who does PG in India knows that our hours are long and days often turn into nights.
I knew that during PG there was no way I could attend coaching/classes with the hours we worked and the unexpected emergencies. But it is very much possible to still pass this exam Slow and steady studying does help. I was never a topper or top 20 rank or anything of that sort in college, I was an average student- not a big distinction or honours holder either. I could not spend hours and hours studying like some of my friends could. So how was I going to prepare for this exam? What was my plan of action?
First off I spoke to friends/ colleagues/ seniors who had taken MRCS- both to people who took it and passed on the first attempt, as well as those who passed on the 2nd attempt. I also read several reddit posts and watched a few youtube videos as well, in addition to going through the MRCS page on RCS. This helped me understand how much to study, what resources to use, and how to approach the exam. As I had never taken PLAB or any other multichoice exam except NEET PG, I knew that learning the multiple-choice system would be my biggest hurdle. The knowledge is there for every surgeon but time management and multiple choice is something we are yet to master routinely.
This exam has 300 questions, which you take in 5 hours and it is split into 2 sections. The first section is 180 Qs on anatomy and part 2 is 120 Qs on basic principles of surgery.
This meant I had approximately 1 min per question.
I had to manage my time efficiently as I was limited to how much I could study while working in GH during PG.I used question banks E-MRCS (did twice) and Pastest (did once). For things I didn't fully understand or need further clarification, I would reference back to my books.
After finishing both Question banks once, I started studying notes, specifically the “Nasa Khan Notes” which were amazing and I am so grateful for those notes.
Every day after work- when I was not on call I would dedicate 2-3 hours to do questions and read WHY I got it wrong and the explanations. The first few days were hard but trust me it gets better after week 1. On days I was on-call it was much harder to have dedicated prep, but I would attempt as many questions on my phone as possible. I aimed to do 50-60 questions a day. On Sunday when I had half days I would do a mock exam every week. This gave me an accurate depiction of where I stood, and what areas I needed to improve. I studied for a total of 8 weeks.
First I was hesitant to give a mock exam because I knew I was not prepared. But after much encouragement, I realized, that failing a mock is not a big deal, especially so early on during my preparation. After giving the mock exam I realized what my strong suites were and what my weaker points were. So the following week I would do more questions focusing on my weaker points and leave things I was very confident in until the end. Mock exams and questions are key. You can read the same topic 100% and memorize the pages in the book, but mock exams and question banks give you the confidence to answer the CONCEPT correctly in any manner. Slowly I started seeing my scores improve. After 2 rounds of notes and questions, I spent the last 4 days doing 1 mock exam every day and going over the questions. When doing the mocks I would do it like a real exam, door closed, on a study table in the hostel and headphones on. The day before the exam I took 1 day leave to rest and take my last mock exam and get a decent night's sleep.
THINGS I DID
2 revisions of E-MRCS and Pastest (but Pastest wasn't the best resource in my opinion)
7 MOCK EXAMS
Still taking breaks every Saturday- common misconception with many people I know- they believe if you are studying for an exam you must just sit and study in your room for 12 hours straight or else you won't pass. This is NOT TRUE. Taking breaks and days off helps refresh your mind. The QUALITY of your studying matters more than your QUANITY (hours) of studying. As I had limited time, I made use of the hours I had and tried to enjoy my time off (as much as one can during PG 🙂)
Discussed concepts with co-residents and surgical residents (as a majority of the exam is general surgery and less ortho). Discussing helped solidify concepts and helped me retain the information better.
Joined a WhatsApp group where they asked questions and you could answer. Remember not to get too caught up in these groups - as sometimes these groups could lead to heated discussions and you do not want to loose time getting into that. Just answer the question and move on.
Remember you don't need to know EVERYTHING of EVERYTHING, learn as much as you can. Learn the important and commonly tested concepts first, then the middle ground topics, and when you have time you can go through the smaller nitty gritty and rarer topics. Always remember common things are common.
Stay awake from negativity- a lot of people will tell you that you cannot do it, “no one clears on the first attempt, especially IMGs”, or “How will you clear, it took me 2 attempts and I have 2 years post-MS experience” etc. If you believe you can do it and put in the work you can, but don't doubt yourself. You don't want to spend the time you're not studying, filled with negativity, anxiety, and stress. Use that extra time off to relax and enjoy with loved ones.
Remember at the end of the day it is just an exam. If you don't pass it on your first attempt the world will not end, you can always sit it again.
Good luck to anyone who is writing the exam (: Please feel free to email us if you have any questions.
PS- Part 2 coming soon - “HOW I PASSED MRCS PART B- FIRST ATTEMPT WITH JUST 2 WEEKS OF NHS EXPERIENCE”