Nocturnale

Good news for you guys out there! A major UK-based provider of medical educational products is currently recruiting for a market research project on exam revision for USMLE and MRCP(UK) exams for candidates in Malaysia. Participants will be reasonably remunerated.

What: USMLE and MRCP(UK) Exam Preparation Malaysian Market Research
Where: Kuala Lumpur and Penang
When: 15th to 17th January 2010
Who: Doctors or medical students in Malaysia attempting or have attempted USMLE/MRCP(UK)
Why: USMLE and MRCP (UK) are two very unforgiving and daunting exams. We want to know how you approach your postgraduate medical exams, the steps you make and the barriers you face. This is information exchange and gathering. We want to learn as much as possible from you and find ways to help candidates like you succeed in the exams.

A weekend of capitalistic excess allowed me to reacquaint with the joy of living. On Sunday, I was at the Amcorp Mall for the much-anticipated Big Bad (Wolf) Book Sale. The experience of browsing the endless stacks of crisp-new paperbacks and hardbacks was amazing. For book worms, this is mecca!

These are hard economic times. But the impossible price tag of RM8 per paperback did nothing to stop me from grabbing freely from the stands. I brought home titles by Ruth Rendell (aka Barbara Vine of whom I am a huge fan), Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, Jeffrey Archer, Neal Stephenson amongst others.

My gratitude to Big Bad Wolf Books for bringing out such quality bargain with such fantastic range of selections! I am happy too that crowds came in droves which can only reflect the book-loving nature of my fellow Malaysians.

The agonizing wait is over. I passed the MRCP(UK) PACES exam and finally crossed the finish line!

I did it with a combination of hard work and resolute determination. I am very glad the effort paid off in the end. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the following individuals/groups who gave me a helping hand along the way and nudged me towards success:

Eighteen months of grit and hard work is coming down to this very day. In a couple of hours time, I will be facing the most daunting examination of my life.

I swam a few laps in the pool yesterday evening and slept surprisingly well last night. I feel great, never thought I could feel this good on this day. I am all excitement.

All that can be done is done. I will give my very best and my fellow candidates a run for their money. Wish me luck!

How do you practice Communication Skills for MRCP(UK) PACES? Do you have any guidance from your seniors? Do you study any video tutorials? Well for me, one of the very effective ways to learn and acquire the skills is by watching an expert doing it.

‘Watch one, do one’ strategy works well for me. I am an Asian. English is not my first medium. There are tactful and professional ways of discussing delicate subjects which are simply beyond my language ability. It is true that PACES test your ability to communicate, not your English mastery. But, you will never get your message across with below-par articulation of your thoughts.

I have watched and learnt a great deal from Dr. MacDonald in his videos on PasTest PACES CASES online revision site. His ability to defuse a challenging clinical scenario is nothing less than impressive. I truthfully think that his manners and methods are what exemplify a well-spoken, professional, authoritative Member of the Royal Colleges of Physicians.

It’s never too late to subscribe. Believe me when I say those videos will improve your communication skills by leaps and bounds.

There are times when I just feel like I am not up to it, that I still profoundly lack the skill of a polished physician, that no matter what I do or try to do, I will never be able to do better. For more occasions than I can recall, I missed the liver where there should indeed be one. I misplaced a spleen for a kidney. A vague mass that turned out to be nothing more than an extension of normality. I am a complete dork. What am I fucking doing? Why are my finger tips and pulps failing me? I want to really mutilate myself now. Damn!

Just watched Night Train, an excellent suspense movie starring Danny Glover and Leelee Sobieski. It has this long-lost noir feel with a supernaturalistic touch. Very satisfying movie from start to finish. Perfect antidote to the strain of exam.

It’s been quite a week. We are spending the mornings and arvos practicing history taking and communication skills. The nights are occupied with quiet isolated study, reading up on the various theoretical aspects of clinical medicine. Will plan to make visits to the hospital making sure our examination techniques do not go rusty.

I also had a chance to go through a copy of Pastest’s very own Success in PACES 2nd edition, a comprehensive revision book for MRCP(UK) PACES. Completely revamped and added with new and improved material on Station 2 and 4, I would thoroughly recommend it to any serious PACES candidate. Furthermore, Dr Douglas Macdonald, who is the co-author of this new edition, is one formidable PACES instructor. His input on history taking and communication skills is incomparable. My advice: buy this book.

Being away from work the weeks before exam is great. No ward rounds, no clinics, no complaints, no dealing with fastidious patients, no tending to the house officers, no admin works etc. My mind is now focused on getting the revisions wrapped up. So I am grateful for the leave of absence.

With that, I was also able to spend more quality time at home with Baby Kate, no doubt inundated and perplexed by our mock presentations and role-playing acts. The revision sessions were stressful but the sight of Baby Kate never fail to lighten our spirit.

Years from now, I will recall fondly and perhaps with a smile on my face this period of time where although the prospect of exam was very daunting indeed, it was alleviated by the company of my one-year-old daughter.

I tweeted this a week back, asking for some high-yield ‘last minute advice’ from those who’d been there and done that. I received two helpful replies. Who says Twitter is good for nothing?

@palmdoc (FRCP): listen carefully to instructions, stay calm a don’t panic!
I will repeat this as a mantra!

@wongkohwei (MRCP): be gentle, try to look sleek… whatever your religion, even if you are atheist, pray a bit…
Lol. Without doubt, I pray and pray and pray.

Also, I find this quote from Success in Paces (2nd Edition, PasTest) especially compelling:

All too often, candidates fail themselves through lack of self belief that they are able to pass the exam and adopt the “rabbit caught in the headlights stance”. The key words are “confidence” and “competence“.

Yes, confident and competent. And if I may add, composure. All the hallmarks of a successful candidate.