1 / 30

FRCPath Examination in Clinical Biochemistry Dr Ruth Ayling Chair, Panel of Examiners

FRCPath Examination in Clinical Biochemistry Dr Ruth Ayling Chair, Panel of Examiners. FRCPath overarching structure. Part 1. Part 2. Clinical Biochemistry. Stage A examination. Clinical Biochemistry. Module 1 OSPE Practical. OSPE. MCQ 1x 3 hour paper (125 questions). M

lguthrie
Download Presentation

FRCPath Examination in Clinical Biochemistry Dr Ruth Ayling Chair, Panel of Examiners

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. FRCPath Examination in Clinical Biochemistry Dr Ruth Ayling Chair, Panel of Examiners

  2. FRCPath overarching structure Part 1 Part 2 Clinical Biochemistry Stage A examination Clinical Biochemistry Module 1 OSPE Practical OSPE MCQ 1x 3 hour paper (125 questions) M Module 2 Cases/Critical appraisal Oral Module 3 Dissertation

  3. Stage A examination • primarily a competency test but…. • you are also expected to build a significant knowledge base in Y 1 • engaging with a well structured Year 1 programme is essential

  4. Step Out of your Comfort Zone COMFORT ZONE

  5. Stage A examination OSPE • 3 hours • 19 stations (9 minutes per station) • Practical procedures • Calculations • Interpretation of clinical data

  6. Stage A Q1 Answer

  7. Stage A Q2 Answer

  8. Keys to your success • Part 1 FRCPath Knowledge • take a long run-up • adopt a systematic approach • correlate book knowledge with ongoing day to day experience • insist on regular feedback from your trainers

  9. FRCPath Part 1 • 1x3hour MCQ • 125 questions (86.4 secs/question) • Single best answer • No negative marking

  10. MCQ Format A Chemical Pathology SpR is preparing for FRCPath Part 1 What type of mock exam is likely to be most helpful for preparation? A Essay B MCQ C Oral D OSPE E SAQ

  11. FRCPath Part 1 MCQ Theoretically, osmolality can be measured using any of the colligative properties of a solution. In clinical laboratories, which colligative property is most commonly used to ascertain the osmolality of serum and urine? A Depression of freezing point B Elevation of boiling point C Lowering of vapour pressure D Oncotic pressure E Osmotic pressure

  12. Content of Part 1 examination

  13. FRCPath overarching structure Part 1 Part 2 Clinical Biochemistry Stage A examination Clinical Biochemistry Module 1 OSPE Practical OSPE MCQ 1x 3 hour paper (125 questions) M Module 2 Cases/Critical appraisal Oral Module 3 Dissertation

  14. Keys to your success • Part 2 FRCPath Skills and knowledge application • Wide ranging workplace-based experience with feedback • Shift lots of glass • Get your lab coat on • Optimize all clinical opportunities • Get people to set you practical exercises • Practice oral exam technique • Do a mock exam • Attend a course?

  15. FRCPath Part 2 OSPE 3 hours 19 stations (9 minutes per station) • analytical outputs • e.g. electrophoretic strips, chromatography scans • clinical scenarios • e.g. sample requirements, investigation protocols • quality control and/or external quality assurance data • calculations • eg analytical, physiological or pharmacological

  16. FRCPath Part 2 Module 1 Practical 3 hours • Part A Experimental design • Part B Data analysis • Part C Practical exercise

  17. Practical Paper Part A • Write a validation exercise for a change of assay from a Jaffe based creatinine assay to an enzymatic based creatinine assay. • At the same time the renal team would like to move from the MDRD to the CKD-Epi equation. Detail a plan for this and how you would implement these changes.

  18. Practical Paper Part B • Using the data provided write a validation report and detail the clinical advice you will give to clinicians.

  19. Part C Using the samples required, measure enzymatic and Jaffe creatinine and determine if any differences are observed You are supplied with a Patient sample spiked with 100 nmol/L bilirubin, 1 calibrator sample and 1 QC sample Jaffe Method: reagent 1, reagent 2, waterTake 50 uL sample, 250 uL R1, 2700 uL of water, 200 uL of R2Incubate for 5 mins at room temperature, read absorbance at 500 nm Wait a further 5 mins and read absorbance againThe change is absorbance is proportional to the concentration of creatinine. The calibrator value is 385 umol/L, the method is linear up to 1500 umol/LEnzymatic Method: reagent 1, reagent 2, waterTake 20 uL of sample, 800 reagent 1, 265 reagent 2, 2000 ul of waterRead absorbance at 548 nm at 10 minsProduct is stable for 5 mins

  20. Answer notes • A passing candidate will be able to produce results from at least one of the assays. The practical has a strong element of time management in it as multiple reading as have to take place. Despite the samples being spiked with 100 nmol/L of bilirubin no difference between the results has been observed of this assay. Therefore the correct result should be to say that no difference was observed. • Excellent candidates will present their laboratory data in a neat and concise manner, using tables where appropriate and showing clear calculations etc.

  21. FRCPath overarching structure Part 1 Part 2 Clinical Biochemistry Stage A examination Clinical Biochemistry Module 1 OSPE Practical OSPE MCQ 1x 3 hour paper (125 questions) M Module 2 Cases/Critical appraisal Oral Module 3 Dissertation

  22. FRCPath Part 2 Module 2 Written component 1hour – 6 clinical cases 2 hours – 2 journal evaluation exercise Oral 2x20 minutes

  23. Clinical Case

  24. Answer notes • Candidates would be expected to:

  25. Management Question You are three months into your Consultant appointment and are asked to represent Pathology) on the Trust’s established General Practitioner (GP) Liaison Group. This meets every two months to review clinical and support services provision by the Trust. After two meetings it is clear that there is general dissatisfaction with the Pathology services and Chemical Pathology seems to be singled out for much non-specific criticism. (‘Too slow’ and ‘unhelpful’ are familiar comments from the more vociferous GP’s). You ‘volunteer’ to conduct a formal review of user satisfaction among the GP’s as the basis for changes in service provision. What approaches to gathering the required information would you consider and why? What do you feel will be the key aspects of the services to GP’s on which you will need to seek opinion

  26. Answer notes Approaches to Gathering Information Background Existence of any current service agreement and standards. Previous audits (if any) of service to GP’s Formal log of complaints from GP’s (general or discipline specific) New Information Audit of current service Questionnaire – validity? Design? Visits to selected GP’s (possibly with questionnaire) Views of laboratory staff Aspects of Service for User Opinion/Level of Satisfaction May include: Access (‘opening hours’) Request form design (personalised; multidisciplinary) Phlebotomy Services (?domiciliary visits) Turnaround times Transport of Samples and Reports Availability of Consultant advice Electronic Data Interchange POCT Support Management data on Pathology usage by practice CPA Status (awareness!) Participation in Clinical Audit Pathology handbook/Information sheets/CD (covering much of the above information) Some of the above will require an overall opinion, others (eg. consultant advice) may require discipline specific information.

  27. Concluding Remarks • FRCPath examinations provide a rigorous and fair test of cognitive skills • Part 1 knowledge • Part 2 skills and application • Together with workplace-based assessments they sample all aspects of the curriculum • Candidates who are fully engaged in a well structured training programme have high probability of success

More Related