CANDIDATE FEEDBACK: MRCPCH Clinical Course 6th & 7th October 2018

Pre-course information

• A timetable would be helpful.
• A timetable would have been really helpful – even if just start and lunch times.
• Programme might have been helpful.
• Confirm parking fees, etc.
• Timetable?
• Good tips for transportation.
• Timings, structure, dress code – would be helpful.
• Programme might have been useful.

Introduction Lecture

• Good idea of cases to expect.
• Good and succinct, covered all basic topics and gave a nice prep.

Range of Patients in clinical stations

• Wide range of patients.  
• Excellent number and range of patients.
• Needed more cases of respo/abdomen findings.

Developmental station

• Maybe further development stations.
• Shame that the children were tired.
• Brilliant
• Need more cases.
• Teaching was excellent by Dr Pandya, wish we had more practice.
• Perhaps could have had more.
• Only 2 patients – more patients to assess.
• Needs more cases.
• Should have more cases.
• More structured toys spread out.

Neurology station

• Helpful to go through how to do vibration/proprioception properly.
• Lots of different cases.  Great to see Friedrichs ataxia.
• Very good practice for neuro.

Misc station

• Especially useful: eyes, VP shunt, cochlear implant.
• Good MIs

Respiratory Station

• Nice.

Cardiovascular station

• Lots of cases – great!
• Need more time to clearly hear murmur.
• Different varieties.
• Lots of different cases.  Fab!
• Well prepared cases, broad range.
• Good teaching for how to present.

Miscellaneous station d1

• Good exposure to wide variety.

Communication station 1

• Fantastic range of difficult topics.
• Very good actors and tips given.

Communication station 2

• Very good actors.

Miscellaneious station d2

• Good, especially eyes and head/neck.

History taking 1

• Needs more scenarios.
• Complex with multiple issues.

History taking 2

• Good focus on CF.

History taking 3

• Good focus on DM.

Video station

• Would have been helpful to know more about the structure, i.e. timings, MCQs only, etc.
• Needs more sound.
• More sound.  More related to 1x and Mx rather than pure △.
• Excellent.
• Felt a bit rushed.
• A bit fast!
• Good resource.
• Needs more videos.
• Good focus on one condition.
• A lot of neuro!  Representative of exam.

Feedback given

• Good feedback but not always made clear whether I would have passed or not.
• Constructive and supportive.
• Maybe excessively reassuring for some poorer candidates not meeting good standards but not being picked up.  Not clear on pass/fail standards of candidates.
• Appreciate the strict detailed feedback.
• Very helpful.

Food

• Nice to have tea, coffee, biscuits, snacks.

Any further comments for suggestions for improvement

• Conduct one mock test just like exam.
• Course was excellent for consolidating my current knowledge and expanding on exam technique.  
• Brilliant.  Run more! Really excellent teaching and range of patients.
• Further cases: myotonic dystrophy, GSDs, could have children with behavioural disorder for development.
• Please arrange mock exams if possible.
• You have done what you can and now it’s our turn.  Thank you so much to your team and the patients.
• Excellent course with good range of cases and good examiners.
• Excellent course, wonderful facilitators.  Thanks a lot to all of you.
• Some sort of mock circuit.
• Fantastic course, excellent range of patients.
• Excellent breadth of cases.  Everyone friendly/supportive.  Good that we all got to examine each.  Perhaps useful to be told whether you would have passed and specific points to improve.
• No-one answered the phone for booking my accommodation in the hospital accommodation.
• Outstanding!  More development, video, Hx station.  Thanks a lot.
• Amazing course, please continue.  Maybe change groups over 2 days to learn from others.
• Very useful.  Thank you so much for your effort.
• Need to show more video scenarios.
• Useful to have ‘common’ or previous exam examples for each station ?on a handout.  More pre-course into please, expectations/dress code/structure/timings.