The FRCS exam is a life changing experience. It sucks the life out you, destroys you financially and sadly has also lead to divorces for some. It certainly should not be taken lightly!
This is not an exam that you can just study for and pass. It requires long term preparation with a long term plan. It requires a solid study group. It requires all the self discipline that you have.
My motto was to throw everything it! I studied for over a year, I bought all the books and I went to every possible course. Still after the exam, I thought I’d failed.
For Part 1
Do at least 6000 MCQs! There are many available: Orthobullets, onexamination, Sri Ram, Black book, Ben Davies, Bone and Joint exam corner.
For Part 2
Learn Miller, Banaszkiewicz, Ramachandran and McMinn’s by heart. That will give you the basics, but will not answer the advanced questions in the exam.
Courses to attend: Wrightington, Oswestry, Imperial(this was the best), Chesterfield, Medway, Miller, Royal College of Surgeons, GOS, Cambridge basic science and London basic science.
Get a study group and meet at least 3 times a week.
Ask consultants and FRCS registrars to grill you.
Part 2 Viva Cases
Clinical’s
Shorts lower limb
Hip examination in patient with dwarfism. Problems expected with THR.
Valgus knee examination. Bog standard and very fair
Adolenscent idiopathic scoliosis. Management options at different severity grades
Shorts upper limb
Rotator cuff arthropathy. Bog standard management
Failed PIPJ Replacement. Management options
Atypical peripheral nerve neuropathy. Could not get diagnosis
Intermediates
Knee OA in young adult. Management options
Scaphoid non-union in 15 year old. Management options
Vivas
Trauma
Medial epicondyle fracture in 7 year old.
Distal femur fracture in elderly patient. Management options
Nonunion of distal femur in a 20 year old. Causes and treatment
Vertebral fracture in 70 year old. The role of vertebroplasty
Failed femoral IM nail, with femoral neck fracture and distal femoral non-union
Humerus fracture. All possible scenarios and management options.
Paeds
DDH in 18 month old
Rotational lower limb deformities in children
Monteggia fracture in a 8 year old
Hands
Comminuted fracture of ring middle phalanx base
Scaphoid non union. Surgical management options
Enchondroma in distal phalanx. Treatment and differentials
Basic Science
Stress strain curve for steel. Explain all parts of the curve. Endurance limit
Funnel Plot. Understanding how it is calculated and the relevance of the position within it
Compartment syndrome lower leg. Anatomy and surgical approach
MRI. Function. Contraindications. Different modalities
Antibiotics. Function. Reducing infection rates
Pagets disease. Fracture of femur. Management
Adult pathology
Loose 15 year old TKR. Management
Management of missed compartment syndrome in lower leg
Idiopathic adolescent scoliosis. Management. Cobb angle. Terminology for vertebrae.
Metastatic Lung Carcinoma. Management
Fibrous cortical defect in tibia. Management
Rheumatoid elbow. Management. Discussion of different elbow replacements.
GOOD LUCK!!!