All You Need to Know about MRCP Exam

 What is MRCP exam?

The full form of MRCP (UK) is Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom. The MRCP is basically a postgraduate medical training program in the United Kingdom. To understand what MRCP exam is and find the way to crack it in the first attempt, one has to understand the structure of this exam first. In order to successfully pass the MRCP exam, an aspirant has to crack three levels – MRCP (UK) Part 1, MRCP (UK) Part 2, and MRCP (UK) Part 2 Clinical examination (PACES). In MRCP (UK) Part 1, aspirants will get two three-hour MCQ papers. Clinical science subjects will be covered in this paper. In MRCP (UK) Part 2, aspirants will get two three-hour MCQ papers. The subjects or topics will cover prognosis, diagnosis, investigation, and management of the illness. In the final part, which is MRCP (UK) Part 2 clinical (PACES), an aspirant can expect to face a series of 5 clinical stations. Each of the stations will be assessed by a minimum of two independent examiners. Apart from these, communication skills, team management skills, and level of professionalism within a candidate will also be judged.

The approval of all three parts of the MRCP (UK) and specialty certificate examinations is done by GMC (General Medical Council), UK. After MRCP course duration, an aspirant can pursue higher studies in medicine, that is, a super specialty in internal medicine. After one manages to crack the MRCP (UK), he or she can practice not only in the UK and India, but also in other Commonwealth countries. In India, the MRCP UK exam (Part 1 and 2) are conducted at the following exam centers – Chennai, Hyderabad, Kerala, Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi. An aspirant can book the exam at any of these six centers. This exam is conducted three times in a year.

What are the benefits of cracking MRCP Exam?

The MRCP exam tests the mettle of an expert in internal medicine. To crack the exam, one needs to possess the highest level of competence. This highly coveted medical exam is recognized in almost every part of the world. The moment a doctor adds this valuable membership to his or her portfolio, it immensely boosts the resume. If an aspirant chooses to practice in the UK after cracking the MRCP exam, he or she can become a specialist registrar in the UK; SpR, which is the abbreviation for Specialist Registrar doctor in the UK. The MRCP UK specialty certification examinations can be undertaken in these subjects – cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, nephrology, endocrinology, dermatology, and infectious diseases. 

How to apply for the MRCP exam?

First, an aspirant has to register and sign into your My MRCP(UK) account. Upon completion of the MRCP online application and submitting evidence of primary medical qualification, an email acknowledgement will be received by the student. In case the student has failed to complete the application, he or she will receive a to-do email from the authority. For applying online, students must visit this website- https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/apply-online. 

If in case any aspirant is not able to fill an application form online, they can contact the organization and request for paper application form. 

What is the eligibility for the MRCP part 1 exam?

Given below is the list of MRCP Part 1 eligibility criteria-

·         a graduation degree in medical sciences (MBBS).

·         the graduation degree must be obtained at least 12 months before the date of the examination.

·         12 months experience in medical employment in any hospital (completion of foundation year 1 or equivalent)

What should you study for the MRCP exam?

The MRCP exam syllabus covers all the clinical and allied subjects. The questions in this exam are mostly related to clinical scenarios that are either real life cases or probable ones. The exam comprises questions majorly from all the clinical subjects. The range of topics include infectious diseases, dermatology, hematology, emergency cases, gender based diagnosis, the latest equipment and technology as used for imaging purposes, etc. A student attempting the MRCP exam must regularly follow popular medical journals and study clinical textbooks.