On your surgical trainee journey, you’ll need to pass two exams: MRCS Part A, and MRCS Part B. This previous guide covers MRCS Part A, but in this post we’ll be looking at Part B - the clinical, practical exam - and the best online revision resources to help you pass.

What is the MRCS B exam?

Our complete guide to MRCS B OSCE exam goes into more detail and really gets under the hood of this examination, but basically it’s the final exam that you need to pass in order to become a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.

MRCS B assess your suitability - as a surgical trainee - based on the following two criteria:

• Knowledge
• Skills & Attributes

Once successfully completed, trainees will be awarded a postgraduate diploma, granting them membership to one of the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland:

• The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
• The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
• The Royal College of Surgeons of England
• The Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland

The individual stations are grouped into two separate areas: knowledge and skills.

Knowledge

The knowledge component is made up of eight stations that cover four subject areas, including:

• 3 surgical anatomy stations
• 2 surgical pathology stations
• 3 applied surgical science and critical care stations
• 1 generic critical care
• 1 generic interpretation of written data
• 1 generic interpretation of visual information

Skills

The skills and attributes component of MRCS B covers 10 stations

• 4 communication skills stations
• 2 generic history taking
• 1 generic giving information to a patient/relative
• 1 generic giving information to another health professional
• 5 clinical and procedural skills stations
• 3 physical examination
• 2 generic skills

A set of domains are used to design the stations and construct the questions, which ensures that the MRCS B examination covers the areas identified as important by the GMC’s Good Medical Practice. Here’s what these domains are:

• Clinical knowledge and its application
• Clinical and technical skill
• Professionalism including decision-making, problem solving, situational awareness and judgement, organisation, planning and patient safety
• Communication

So now we know what MRCS B consists of, it’s time to see how you can put your best surgical foot forward and nail your next examination.

MRCS B Online Revision Resources

1. Pastest

Pastest’s MRCS B revision resource gives you access to 227 exam-focussed stations to give you everything you need to demonstrate the necessary surgical skills. You’ll receive exclusive access to brand new resources designed around the 18 exam stations found in the MRCS B exam. You can review each station using professional learning points and station images, possible exam scenarios and tips for communication. All stations are supported by accurate and detailed anatomical images, giving you clear diagrams that explain key exam concepts.

You can even revise on the go with the Pastest mobile-friendly browser - so you can simply choose a station on your phone and dive straight into your studying!

2. Medibuddy

Medibuddy is another popular revision resource out there, with prices varying depending on how long you want access to their question bank. In it you’ll find 190 different scenarios covering surgical anatomy and pathology, critical care and surgical science, physical examination and procedural skills, and communication skills such as history taking, and giving and receiving information from patients. There’s also a Medibuddy app so you can revise on the go.

eMRCS

All eMRCS questions are accompanied by revision notes under each answer, and you can also gain access to timed tests, a revision mode, and a performance analysis tool. The latter involves a histogram that is updated daily based on other candidates’ scores, allowing you to see where you place in comparison with others, but also predicts when you may be ready for the real thing. There’s usually a couple of different subscription options depending on how long you want to commit to studying, and how far away you are from the exam.

MRCS Part B Questions

MRCS Part B Questions houses 3,500 questions, with all scenarios written by surgeons who have taken and passed the exam themselves. You’ll also get access to an interactive platform featuring images, and core pathology, critical and applied science example stations.

Ace the MRCS

Ace the MRCS features more than 90 stations covering anatomy, surgical pathology, applied surgical sciences, and critical care, and over 60 stations that focus on clinical, procedural and communication skills. There’s also a real-time collaborative revision feature that takes place via video conferencing, so people can revise alongside colleagues and friends. You can choose your subscription length and revision level depending on how far in advance you want to prepare.

Additional MRCS B revision resources

1. Anatomy

Teach Me Anatomy

For everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the human body, Teach Me Anatomy will have it all. This freemium revision resource goes from head to toe with in-depth and comprehensive articles, detailed diagrams, quizzes and a bank of more than 1,700 multiple choice questions.

Acland’s

Acland’s Video Atlas of Human Anatomy features nearly 330 videos of real human anatomy in all their natural colours, and shows exactly how they would in a real body. Structures that are otherwise complicated are broken down step-by-step to give you a truly detailed understanding of the anatomy’s structure and function.

2. Physiology

Basic Science for the MRCS

If you prefer to read on the go, this is also available in eBook format. A concise revision guide covering anatomy, pathology, and physiology. Text is formatted in bullet points with clear and annotated line drawings, and the most recent edition includes 250 online single-best answer questions. There’s also OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) ‘Clinical Scenarios’ featured at the end of each chapter.

3. Pathology

Surgical Pathology Revision

Popular amongst surgical trainees, this revision guide is an A-Z covering pathology and essential knowledge. Written by an experienced pathologist, Surgical Pathology Revision covers the key topics and concepts needed for an understanding of basic pathology.

4. Critical Care

Surgical Critical Care

Again available as an eBook and in its third edition, Surgical Critical Care follows the same ABCDE chapter format as its predecessor, and has two sections to it: the management of non-ICU-based patients, and an introduction to basic ICU care. The chapters include standard definitions, pathological processes, diagnostic features and common management plans, and cover the most common causes of system complications - a must-have for aspiring surgeons!

CCrISP

CCrISP - or its full name of Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient - is in its fourth edition thanks to revisions from surgeons and anaesthetists across a number of disciplines. This book’s main aim is to encourage surgical trainees to take responsibility for their patients by predicting and preventing common problems, and to work well with all staff in a hospital environment.

The highest pass rate for MRCS Part B was recorded in autumn 2020, and currently stands at 75% - so while it’s a tricky exam, more people tend to pass Part B than Part A. How difficult you find MRCS B depends on how hard you study! With the right revision resources to give you not only the knowledge but the right exam technique, we’re sure you’ll pass with flying colours!

Subscribe to Pastest now to start studying today! Check out our MRCS B online subscriptions.