Minor flaws, but truly excellent.
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I've just passed the Intercollegiate MRCS first time (all 3 parts). I attribute part of that success to this book. I agree with the other reviews that there are some flaws and these are as follows:
1. As in the other reviews, I was a little annoyed at the lack of some page reference numbers not being filled in properly, but in all honesty, this was not that important as it's easy to know what topic elsewhere in the book the reference is to.
2. I also noticed a few minor errors in the subject matter, but these were also fairly inconsequential and fairly obvious (e.g. there is one instance when the text says 'left hypochondrium', when they clearly mean 'right'. But everyone knows that's where the liver is. If you don't, I agree that you will find the exam difficult and this book will not help you.
3. An example paragraph to describe each pathology is accompanied by an illustrative picture which does not go exactly with the description, for example, the text will describe a left facial lesion but the picture will be of a right facial lesion, but both are meant to be just an example
4. The book is fairly pricey
However, I do feel that this book is indispensible for revision for MRCS as:
1. There are quick reference cards in the back of it that detail every examination you could be asked to do in the exam. These were EXTREMELY useful and portable for spare times between clinics and examining friends etc.
2. The pictures of pathology are very, very helpful. I saw very similar things in the actual exam and would have been a bit confused had I not seen them here. For example, there is a very good station on the appearance and indications for the various stomas etc.
Saved countless hours attending clinics with the different specialties! (which I found difficult, time consuming and quite ineffectual)
3. This book is very readable. I got through it 3 times before the exam. Justified the price somewhat!
4. Divided up into sections like the exam stations. The author has surveyed candidates coming out of the MRCS clinicals and have statistically analysed the top cases (top 5 cases in each station and those which are 'very common' and 'common') so you know what you are likely to get prior to the exam.
I don't think I'd have passed without it.
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all you need
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This book contained all the information I needed to pass the exam. Sure, there are a few typos but they aren't really that big a deal. The pictures are great and in my opinion, the footnotes are actually a good thing because they help reduce the amount of text in the main passages whilst being interesting in their own right.
I would recommend this book over the others by far.
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Expensive
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Have successfully sat MRCS clinical exam but did not rely on this book very much. It has a disorganised layout, an over-relyance on footnotes and pictures that can be found in other books. The collection of pictures is one of the books saving graces, but other than that there is not really much to commend. Would advise looking elsewhere.
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Hasn't been updated for Intercollegiate MRCS.
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Maybe this book was relevant to the old MRCS, but it hasn't been updated for the new Intercollegiate exam, and contains a lot of misleading advice. There are far too many typos, and a lot of references to "see page XX", which suggest that it wasn't proof-read properly. The hundreds and hundreds of footnotes get very wearing. A cautious recommendation, but don't rely on this book!
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Prepare yourself for the Clinical
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Things are a changing, what with intercollegiate exams and reduction in working hours and whatnot. But what is certain is that you can't change the past and Cathy Parchment-Smith has done a great job of reviewing and analysing candidates and subjects in the clinical part of the (then) MRCS England exam.
A breakdown of topics, provided presumably from exiting candidates, lets you know exactly how often "examination of inguinal hernia" came up. Summary cards for each examination are exhaustive and provided in a handy cut-out format.
Basically this text lets you know what to learn, how to remember it all and dispells fears of being asked to spot minutiae in each examination bay. Let the statistics convince you..
Much recommended.
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