2017 – NM

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!!!