If a career in paediatrics is what you are striving for, there is no better way to do it than gaining membership to the Royal College of Physicians. One has to clear the MRCPCH exams to achieve the coveted membership.
The membership is recognized by the Medical Council of India and is regarded as equivalent to an MD degree. The MRCPCH exam is considered a tough one to clear. However, it is worth taking to get specialized in paediatrics in India.
You have to make schedules properly and plan in advance with intensive training. You will be able to become a paediatrician in the shortest term with all the advanced skills and certification that is accepted in India.
MRCPCH is an exam conducted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, UK (RCPCH), for the aspirants who want to get trained and specialized as paediatricians. Apart from the UK, the membership is recognized in Ireland, Singapore, India and most countries in the Gulf, Asia and Europe.
Recognised medical qualification is vital to sit the MRCPCH exam. Indian candidates must have an MBBS degree and permanent registration with the MCI.
The MRCPCH comprises four exams. Candidates have to clear all the three theory exams in any order to take up the clinical exam.
Foundation of Practice (FOP) is also called Part 1A that lasts 2 hours 30 minutes and has 79 single best answer types (SBAs) and 6 extended matching questions (EMQs).
Theory and Science (TAS) is also called Part 1B that lasts 2 hours 30 minutes and has 70 SBAs and 10 EMQs.
Applied Knowledge in Practice (AKP) is also called Part 2 that has two exams that last 2 hours 30 minutes each and have to be attended on the same day.
During the MRCPCH clinical exam, candidates are tested following the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) style format:
Stations 1-4: Clinical Examination
Station 5 : Development
Station 6 : History-Taking and Management Planning
Stations 7 & 8: Communication
Stations 9 &10: Video
Clearing the MRCPCH exams is comparatively tougher. But it is worth taking to have a successful career as a paediatrician and to progress further in the specialty. Hope you found the information useful. Good luck with your MRCPCH exams!!