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UK PACES Examination reverting to pre-Covid Format

4/19/2022

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PACES examination in the UK will revert to the pre-COVID, five-station, format from the 2022/2 diet. 
This means that there will no longer be a two mini-cycle format, and all stations will be run on a face-to-face basis. However, candidates will still be expected to have a negative lateral flow test on the day of the exam, use the PPE provided at centres, and adhere to the local infection control guidance.  

There could be more slots available for the upcoming diets.  Are you ready for the PACES Exam? Check out our Complete PACES Boot Camp Course. 

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10 Golden Advices for PACES Exam Day

2/28/2022

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  1. Go to the examination centre on time
    You do not know what will happen on the way to the exam centre. So leave early. If you are late for any reason, you will be stressed, and worse, you may not be able to enter the exam centre at all. 


  2. Don't forget your ID
    There have been histories candidates forgot to bring the IDs or stethoscopes. If you want to use your own torch and fundoscope, bring them. Bring your watch too, but remember ‘Bare below elbow’

  3. Wear smart
    You must be presentable. That does not mean you have to wear expensive clothing. Wear something that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Again remember to make sure that you are “Bare below elbow’.

  4. PACES needs sustained energy or stamina
    That is why you need to practise for that too. We do have a Full Mock Exam (
    www.pacesbootcamp.co.uk/fullmockexam). Take plenty of rest the day before. Have a good night's sleep. You cannot do anything the night before the exam, apart from sleeping. 

  5. Always try to be systematic in all the stations
    Even if you do not know what is going on, do all the steps, and give appropriate differentials. Individual skills are important, so take as many marks as possible in each station. 

  6. Do not carry your feelings
    That is very important. You are allowed to do badly in one or two stations. And sometimes, things are not as bad as you imagine. If you think you did not do well in one station, and if you carry that feeling, it is your loss. Remember, examiners from the next stations do not know what stupid mistakes you did in the last station. Always start fresh. Just think that if you could not do well, other candidates won’t be able to do well either. 

  7. Be a safe doctor
    Always involve specialists, seniors, consultants. You cannot know everything, that is why you have books like BNF, guidelines and seniors, Refer to them as you need. 

  8. Be confident
    Being a confident doctor doesn’t mean being arrogant or ignorant. When you do the presentation or even while talking to a patient, be confident. 

  9. Remember to say Sorry, Thank you
    Say sorry whenever needed. Also, say thank you after every little thing patient does for you. For example, say thank you after you ask a Parkinson's patient to walk, or after you ask the patient to breathe in and breathe out in the respiratory station. 
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  10. Be happy
    Las but not least, be happy. ​PACES is an exam which you need to practise. But don’t just look at the books and be anxious or depressed. If you could not make it the first time, you will pass the next time. With the appropriate guidance and support, you can pass PACES while enjoying the learning experiences. Our PACES Boot Camp UK team will be here should you need any help. Check out our courses here:
    bit.ly/course_paces
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New Format of PACES Delayed until 2023

1/8/2021

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As a consequence of the ongoing global COVID-19 situation the introduction of the new PACES 2020 examination will be delayed until 2023. (Source: MRCP UK) 
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I failed the PACES Exam before. What should I do?

8/17/2020

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Well, failure in PACES is nothing to be ashamed of. All the exams need luck apart from your tremendous preparation. 

Having said that, you can do many things to improve yourself. 
  • Don’t be depressed or sad.
  • Learn from your mistakes. 
  • Find out where your mistakes were. 
  • Get up and prepare for the next exam as soon as possible. 
  • They are not testing just your knowledge. They are finding a safe doctor, who can reasonably assess the patient, order relevant investigations and manage accordingly. 
  • They are looking for doctors who know their limit and who seek help beyond their limit. 
  • By this time now, you would have understood how the presentation skills are important and how the exam stress could change your performance. 
  • Ace the common topics and scenarios. 
  • Practise with your friends and colleagues. 
  • Participate in mocks and attend courses which are helpful.   
  • Keep in mind: practice makes perfect. ​
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Updates for Diet 3 UK PACES Examination!!

8/14/2020

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Due to Covid 19 Pandemic, MRCP UK has announced following changes although final approval from the General Medical Council is awaited. 

Station 1, 3 and 5 - mini carousel

Station 1, 3 and 5 will be run as a mini-carousel with real patients, assessing 7 skills, with more time in between stations for PPE and cleaning of equipment. 


Station 2, 4 and a rest station - mini carousel *Via online* 

Station 2, 4 and a third station (rest station) will be run as another mini-carousel. Candidates will be in the same centre, on the same day as station 1, 3 and 5, but surrogates and examiners will be remote. Content and timings of the stations will be the same. 

The whole PACES Exam will take 3 hours, and candidates may be asked to undertake the mini-cycles in either order. 

Source: MRCP UK

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PACES 2021

8/9/2020

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Will the new PACES Exam format be implemented from Diet 1, 2021? 
As of 9th Aug, 2020, MRCP UK website has NOT announced whether they will introduce the new format from diet 1, 2021 or not. So, no one knows for sure at the moment. 

What are the changes for the PACES Exam next year (2021)?
Station 2 (History Taking Station), Station 4 (Communication Station) and Station 5 (Brief Clinical Consultation Stations)  are removed.

What is being added?
Communication stations: There will be 2x 10 mins communication stations. There will be no question and answer section with the examiners. 

Consultation stations: There will be 2 x 20 mins consultation stations, where you will have to take history, perform physical examination and discuss management plans and address the patient’s concerns for 15 mins, followed by 5 mins question and answer section with the examiners.

What shall I do if I want to prepare for PACES 2021?
Though there may be changes in PACES Exam next year, you should continue practising the topics from the current PACES Exam. The basics are the same. 

There will be NO changes in physical examination stations (Current Station 1 and 3).

The topics and the important points for Communication stations will be the same as the current exam. The main difference is that you will not encounter questions from the examiners.

You will have more time for consultation stations (compared to the current brief clinical consultation stations), but the topics, structure and general concept will be the same. You will have more time to think, perform and address the concerns.

Our advice 
  • Start early for the PACES Exam preparation. 
  • Do not wait for new changes to be implemented. There has been no exact announcement as to when the changes will be implemented. 
  • Use current resources 
  • Participate in practice groups, whether hospital teaching sessions or online sessions.
  • Join our online mock sessions (pacesbootcamp.co.uk/onlinemocks) and our PACES Courses (pacesbootcamp.co.uk/courses)
  • Be familiarised with the common topics 
  • Be well-prepared and pass the PACES Exam
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Source: MRCP UK
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Recommended Resources for PACES

8/3/2020

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Here is a list of recommended resources for PACES Examination!
  • ​An Aid to the MRCP PACES (Ryder and Freeman)
  • OST (Oxford Specialty Training)
  • Cases for PACES
  • The Pocketbook for PACES
  • PASTEST Videos
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How should I start preparing for the MRCP PACES Examination?

8/3/2020

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  • This is a common question from PACES Candidates! 
  • How you should prepare for PACES will depend on a number of factors like: your background clinical knowledge, your clinical experience, the time you have left before the exam and the time you can devote for the PACES preparation. 
  • You should try to be familiarised with the common topics, polish your examination skill, improve your communication skill and your presentation skill.
  • ​Detailed explanations for each station will be posted on our website.
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7 SKILLS assessed during the PACES Examination

8/1/2020

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Skill A: Physical Examination
This is the easiest skill. As long as you can perform the examination systemically, you will get full marks in this skill.

Tips: Practise daily either with a colleague or friend or even with a pillow. The more you practise, the more natural you will become in performing examinations.


Skill B: Identifying Physical Signs
This is an important station. It is known that British candidates find this skill a bit challenging. However, with regular examination of the patients, you will be able to pass this skill.

Tips: You need to have a PACES oriented mind. Popular cases should be rehearsed well. With proper preparation, this skill is easy to pass. Remember, if you could not identify physical signs, your diagnosis and differentials will not be correct and that will affect other skills (D,E,F).


Skill C: Clinical Communication Skills
This is one of the challenging skills, especially for non-British candidates. There are only 3 stations (Station 2,4 and 5) which assess this skill, so you need to talk clearly and loudly to deliver your message to the surrogates or patients.

Tips: If you are non-British candidates, you need to practise how to be confident and at the same time, show your sympathy and empathy. This is very important as this skill sometimes can link to skill for managing patient’s concerns (F).


Skill D: Differential Diagnosis
Some candidates failed just by one mark in this skill. After you finish your examination, put all the positive and negative findings together to give your provisional diagnosis and sensible differentials.

Tips: You should prepare differentials while you are studying. This is a very crucial advice. However, you should tailor your differentials according to YOUR case in YOUR PACES exam. If you mention differentials which are not relevant to your case, you WILL LOSE marks.


Skill E: Clinical Judgement
If your diagnosis and differentials are not correct, you will lose mark in clinical judgement too. Practise the management plan for each diagnosis before the exam.

Tips: If you are not sure of the diagnosis, your investigations and management plan should cover your differentials. You can always consult your consultant and other specialists. Remember – you are not treating this patient alone! Always remember to admit patients with serious conditions! Consider whether you need to stop the patient from driving. Don’t forget to provide safety netting.


Skill F: Managing Patients’ Concerns
This is the most difficult skill for candidates. You need to get 11/16 to pass this skill. If you lose marks in communication station (4) and in one BCC, it would be very hard for you to pass.

Tips: Time management is critical for this skill. Candidates find it difficult to finish on time in BCC. They continue to take history or do physical examination and hence they do not have enough time left to address patients’ concerns. This is a fatal mistake! You should always give sufficient time to address patients’ concerns especially in BCC.


Skill G: Maintaining Patient Welfare
Almost all candidates pass this skill. As long as you behave professionally, you will get full marks in this skill.

Tips: Do not forget to ask about pain before touching the patient. Also, cover up the patient after you have examined him.

​
🔺Final advice: Remember – PACES is not about how much you know about medicine. It is about how you can correlate the findings, how you behave, your thinking process, your manners, your confidence and whether you are a safe doctor or not.
​​


Want to prepare for PACES efficiently?

Join our Complete PACES Boot Camp Course now and be ready for the exam!
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