MRCS

The syllabus essentially remains the same although it is structured differently every few years. The most up-to-date version can be found on the intercollegiate website. The syllabus from 2012 has been structured in 10 modules: 

Module 1: Basic Sciences (to include applied surgical anatomy, applied surgical physiology, applied pharmacology (centred around the safe prescribing of common drugs), surgical pathology (principles underlying system-specific pathology), surgical microbiology, imaging (principles, advantages and disadvantages of various diagnostic and interventional imaging methods) 

Module 2: Common surgical conditions (under the topics of gastrointestinal disease; breast disease; vascular disease; cardiovascular and pulmonary disease; genitourinary disease; trauma and orthopedics; diseases of the skin, head and neck; neurology and neurosurgery; and endocrine disease) 

Module 3: Basic Surgical skills (including the principles and practice of surgery and technique) 

Module 4: The Assessment and Management of the Surgical Patient (decision making, team working and communication skills) 

Module 5: Perioperative care (preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care, including the management of complications) 

Module 6: Assessment and management of patients with trauma (including the multiply injured patient) 

Module 7: Surgical care of the pediatric patient 

Module 8: Management of the dying patient 

Module 9: Organ and tissue transplantation 

Module 10: Professional behaviour and leadership skills (including communication, teaching and training, keeping up to date, managing people and resources within healthcare, promoting good health and the ethical and legal obligations of a surgeon) 

Part A (MCQs and Extended matching questions): 2 X 2 hrs = 4 hrs (same day)

Paper 1: Applied Basic Sciences (135 questions)

Paper 2: Principles of Surgery in General (135 questions)

Part B (OSCEs)

To be eligible for Part B you must have passed Part A. The OSCE will normally consist of 18 examined stations each of 9 minutes’ duration and one or more rest/preparation station. Although the MRCS remains an exam for the Core part of Surgical Training, six of the stations will be examined in a specialty context and the other 12 reflect generic surgical skills. You must specify your choice of specialty context stations at the time of your application to sit the exam.